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Review
. 2016 Sep;30(3):729-57.
doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2016.04.008.

Occupational Health Update: Focus on Preventing the Acquisition of Infections with Pre-exposure Prophylaxis and Postexposure Prophylaxis

David J Weber  1 , William A Rutala  2
Affiliations
Review

Occupational Health Update: Focus on Preventing the Acquisition of Infections with Pre-exposure Prophylaxis and Postexposure Prophylaxis

David J Weber et al. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2016 Sep.

Abstract

Health care personnel are commonly exposed to infectious agents via sharp injuries (eg, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus), direct patient care (eg, pertussis and meningococcus), and the contaminated environment (eg, Clostridium difficile). An effective occupational program is a key aspect of preventing acquisition of an infection by offering the following: (1) education of health care personnel regarding proper handling of sharps, early identification and isolation of potentially infectious patients, and hand hygiene; (2) assuring immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases; and, (3) immediate availability of a medical evaluation after a nonprotected exposure to an infectious disease.

Keywords: HIV; Health care personnel; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; Occupational health; Postexposure prophylaxis; Vaccines.

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