Apart from needlestick injuries, there have been a small number of other incidents which demonstrate the need for caution during medical procedures which might involve contact with blood. A handful of healthcare workers, almost all with previously damaged skin, have been infected through blood splashes. These have occurred when blood splashed into the eyes, onto damaged skin or into the mouth (CDC, Gionnini). Since it has been reported that the mucous membranes of the eye have been a route of infection in several cases, goggles should be worn in any situation where spattering of blood is likely.

Precautions

It is always in the nature of health care work to be at risk of infection. In the case of most other infections there are tried and trusted procedures to protect health care workers.

In the case of HIV it has been argued that the testing of patients is the best way of protecting health care workers. This would not be practical because it could never identify all HIV–infected patients. Instead, universal precautions need to be practised. These are discussed under Infection control later in this chapter. This section also summarises the danger–points – the medical procedures which have been identified as most likely to lead to injuries for health care workers.