Health care workers and Aids

Health care workers and Aids

All health care workers - be that medical doctors, nursing staff or other support personnel - run the risk of being infected, and because of their unique employment environment should even be more careful and should demand that correct protocol be followed and maintained at all times.
health care providers, aids, professionals, doctors, dentists, nurses, protocol, infected, needle, sharps on this page

* Exposure to the HIV virus
* Needle stick injury
* Some simple guidelines

Exposure to the HIV virus

Should a health care worker be exposed to the HIV virus, post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) drugs should be taken within 3 hours or no later than 24 - 48 hours after the incident.

Depending on the circumstances a 2 or 3 drug regimen is normally followed for a four week period.

This also applies to percutaneous exposure (needle stick injury) as well as mucocutaneous exposure (transmission by means of mucous membrane and/or skin) - although the transmission danger is less through mucocutaneous exposure.