Bloodborne Pathogens, HIV & AIDS (Video Part 1)

As a caregiver, you may come in contact with a client’s blood or other bodily fluids. This presents a small risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. As a caregiver, you need to know the following.

Common types of blood-borne diseases
How blood-borne disease can and cannot be spread
How to use standard precautions to protect yourself and your clients
What to do if you are exposed to blood or body fluids

Common Blood-Borne Diseases

The three most common blood-borne diseases caused by blood-borne pathogens are Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS. Syphilis and the West Nile Virus are also caused by blood-borne pathogens.

Hepatitis B (HBV)

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that infects the liver. It is a more common infection and more contagious than HIV. Approximately 90% of adults infected with HBV will recover. Some people exposed to HBV may not have any symptoms. Talk to your doctor about whether you should have this vaccine. If you have already been vaccinated, you are not required to be vaccinated again. If you cannot get the vaccine through your health insurance, your employer must cover the cost. If you choose to decline the vaccination, you must sign a declination statement.

If you decide later that you want the vaccination, your employer must make it available to you then. See Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine Consent/Declination in the Resource Directory on page 330 for an example Hepatitis B consent form.

Hepatitis C (HCV)

Hepatitis C is also a viral infection of the liver that may cause chronic inflammation with possible scarring (cirrhosis) and causes permanent liver damage. HCV is not as easy to contact as HBV, but is still more infectious than HIV. While it can be a short-term illness in some cases, the CDC reports that 75%–85% of people who become infected with HCV will develop a chronic infection. The most effective prevention method is avoiding high-risk behaviors. There are no vaccines currently available, but there are several medications available to cure chronic Hepatitis C.

Both HCV and HBV can be spread through contact with dried blood.

See the Common Diseases and Conditions section for more information about Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E on page 372.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a virus that damages the immune system of someone living with HIV. There is no vaccine against HIV. HIV will be covered in more detail in this lesson.

How Blood-Borne Pathogens Spread in the Workplace

Blood-borne pathogens spread under specific circumstances. However, not all contact can spread blood-borne pathogens. Ways that blood-borne pathogens CAN spread:

A needle stick or other puncture wound
Helping a client who is bleeding
Changing linens that are contaminated by blood or other body fluids
Helping to clean up blood, vomit, urine or feces
Changing a dressing or bandage with blood that has oozed from a wound
Contact with broken skin (chapped, weeping, or dermatitis)
Contact with mucous membranes (mouth, nose, and eyes)

Review the standard precautions from Module 6, Lesson 1. Which specific precautions help prevent the spread of blood-borne disease?

Ways that blood-borne pathogens can NOT spread.

Providing care for a client with a blood-borne disease when standard precautions are used
Sharing eating utensils, plates, or glasses
Sharing bathrooms
Through the air
Hugging
Shaking or holding hands

Exposure to Blood-Borne Diseases

Any time a person comes into direct contact with blood or other body fluids, there is a risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Home Care Aides should know what to do right away if they are exposed.

*reference the bottom of page 126 for a chart regarding types of exposure and what to do about them.

Your care setting will have specific procedures for exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). Talk with your employer or supervisor about what you should do if you are exposed.
If you are exposed, your employer must offer you a Hepatitis B vaccine, pay for your medical costs, keep confidential medical records, and provide a postexposure medical exam to you. You can also request HIV testing of the source individual. If the source individual does not want to be tested, assistance from the local health officer can be requested, provided the:

a request is made within seven days of the exposure;
health officer determines that a “substantial exposure” has occurred. The health officer may make the determination that testing is unnecessary, and
substantial exposure occurred on the job.

See Risk After Exposure in the Resource