Protecting patients from harm: design and implementation of an institutional bloodborne pathogen protocol
| Autor: | Bruce H. Hamory, Michael A. Foltzer |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2010 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Epidemiology Health Personnel education Specialty Infectious Disease Transmission Professional-to-Patient Patient safety Environmental health Health care medicine Blood-Borne Pathogens Humans Cross Infection Infection Control business.industry Health Policy Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health medicine.disease EXPOSE Infectious Diseases Harm Accidental Legal opinion Practice Guidelines as Topic Medical emergency Health Facilities business |
| Zdroj: | American journal of infection control. 39(10) |
| ISSN: | 1527-3296 |
| Popis: | Background Patients are sometimes exposed to the blood of health care workers (HCWs) while receiving medical care. No national guidelines exist that authoritatively articulate the responsibility of HCWs infected with a potentially transmissible bloodborne pathogen (BBP). Geisinger Health System crafted and implemented a policy delineating the responsibilities of an HCW in the event of accidental blood exposure of a patient, specifically addressing HCWs known to be infected with a BBP. Methods In 2008, a multidisciplinary group convened to review available published resources from the American Medical Association, specialty society positions, state and national guidelines, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology, as well as selected commentaries. Results A policy was crafted and enacted within a large integrated heath care system that provided clear guidelines and responsibilities for HCWs who are either infected with a BBP or expose patients to blood in the course of providing medical care. This policy balances the rights of both patients and providers. Conclusions The resources to devise policies regarding BBP exposure to patients are available but require distillation of complex scientific data and social and/or legal opinion or precedent. We offer Geisinger Health System’s policy as a workable and readily accessible model that defines the obligations of providers to protect patients in the event of a BBP exposure. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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