Occupational Acquisition of HIV Infection by Healthcare Workers in the United States

Charles John Palenik*

Healthcare Is the fastest growing sector (5.6% increase in 2016) of the United States economy,comprising 17.8% ($3,2 trillion) of the gross domestic product. There are more than 18,000,000 American healthcare professionals (HCP) [1,2].

HCP face many noninfectious occupational hazards. This includes hazardous chemicals, latex allergies, lasers, radiation, stress, violence, strains, sprains and heat/fi re. Also, HCP are commonly exposed to infectious agents, including the hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodefi ciency virus (HIV) while working.

Occupational blood and body fl uid exposure to bloodborne  pathogens is a serious public health concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 5.6 million workers in the healthcare industry and related occupations are at risk for a variety of occupational hazards [1,3,4]. This
often occurs because of sharp injuries (e.g., needles, blades, pointed instruments and broken glass and instruments), direct patient care (direct contact and inhalation) and a contaminated environment (indirect contact). Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses among HCP are the highest among any industry
sector [2,5,6].

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Published on: Sep 7, 2017 Pages: 15-17

Full Text PDF Full Text HTML DOI: 10.17352/2455-3786.000123
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