Prevention of Blood-borne Infections in Hospital Settings

Abstract

Introduction: Blood-borne virus infections are caused by HIV, HBV, or HCV and are known for a high prevalence worldwide and significant associated morbidity and mortality. This review focused on the occurrence and prevention of blood-borne infections among health workers.
Methods: The electronic databases for the reviewed articles including Embase, CINAHL, OVID Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, and Foreign Medical Literature Retrieval Service (FRMS), were searched systematically and independently by two authors. The language of the literature was limited to English. Meanwhile, the System for Information on Grey Literature was also searched to reduce publication bias. Two authors performed the literature selection independently. The review question was formed in terms of PICOD elements (population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and design of the study. The primary result of this review was healthcare worker exposure rates to bloodborne pathogens.
Results: the literature points to a number of opportunities for intervention and engagement such as pre-and post-travel advice, use of HIV treatments as prevention to reduce community viral load, in-country outreach, and online and other health promotion interventions. This is despite a number of previously completed reviews and policy documents, which provide explicit recommendations such as developing and increasing links and partnerships with affected communities and creating closer cooperation with policy and support sectors in both origin and destination regions. Such methods may be disposed to a measurement error which may weaken the validity of findings. High-income countries have seen increasing acquisitions of overseas acquired blood-borne infections. Whist those traveling to and from countries with significant prevalence, particularly of HIV have been identified as priority populations in a number of strategic frameworks.
Conclusions: The risk of health workers being exposed to rare ''exotic'' pathogens increases with intercontinental travel and migrations. Emerging disease risks are also associated with progress in medical techniques, changes in nutritional or other social habits, or ecological changes. Although the principal threats to which PEP experts are confronted are linked with HIV, HCV, and HBV, these experts must also be able to suspect other, less common transmissible pathogens. Clinicians should systematically follow up with personnel who have sustained exposure to other pathogens.