Web Box: Test Yourself: Safety Precautions and Infection Prevention in the Workplace
1. True. Providers should follow safety precautions to avoid the spread of infection when working with any client, including those known to have HIV and those whose HIV status is not known. Called “standard precautions,” this simple set of practices is designed to protect health care workers and their clients in health care settings from infection. Always following the standard precautions is the best way that providers can avoid workplace exposure to HIV and other fluid-borne infections. Under the principle of the standard precautions, health care workers assume that all blood and body fluids are infectious, regardless of actual infectiousness. That is why the precautions are called “standard”—they should be applied with every client. The following are the standard precautions for infection prevention in the family planning clinic:
- Wash hands, if possible
- Wear gloves, if possible
- Do pelvic examinations only when needed
- For each injection use a new needle and a single-use syringe, preferably the auto-disable type (see Population Reports issue K-6,“Expanding Services for Injectables”)
- Wipe surfaces with 0.5% chlorine solution (bleach)
- Dispose of single-use equipment and supplies properly and safely
- Process instruments that will be reused
- Wash linens
(For additional information about infection prevention, download EngenderHealth’s “Infection Prevention: A Reference Booklet for Health Care Practitioners” from http://www.engenderhealth.org/res/offc/safety/ip-ref/pdf/ip-ref-eng.pdf)
2. False. If a provider follows the standard precautions during clinical procedures such as IUD insertion, female sterilization, vasectomy, and injections, the risk of acquiring HIV infection during clinical procedures is low because the chances of exposure are minimized.
Even if a health care provider is exposed to HIV, the risk of becoming infected is slight. After exposure of mucous membrane or nonintact skin to HIV, the chances of infection are on average approximately 1 in 1,000 exposures, although the risk varies depending on the amount of infected material, length of time of exposure, and the amount of HIV in the material. The risk of becoming infected after needle-stick exposure to HIV-infected blood is 3 infections per 1,000 needle sticks. Providers who are exposed to HIV-infected fluids can take postexposure prophylaxis (PEP)—that is, a course of ARVs taken as soon as possible after exposure to reduce the risk of becoming infected (24).
3. True. Single-use needles and syringes are preferable to reusable injection equipment. Single-use needles and syringes must not be reused. Used needles should not be broken, bent, or recapped. Put used needles and syringes immediately into a puncture-proof container for disposal. When three-fourths full, the sharps container should be sealed and either burned, incinerated, or buried deep in the ground.
4. False. Concerns with personal safety are normal when providing care for clients who might have infectious conditions. Fear of infection should never prevent the provision of a family planning method or other care, however. By following the standard precautions outlined above, providers can minimize their risk of infection and feel confident that they can provide care safely.
5. False. The best protection is to make infection prevention a habit when working with all clients. Always following infection prevention procedures can help keep providers, their clients, and the community safe.
Source: Adapted from World Health Organization 2007 (256)
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See Companion INFO Report: “Women and HIV: Questions Answered”