There are various diseases that, once contracted, remain in your blood for years, and potentially for life. Exposure to blood and blood-containing items can greatly increase the risks of contracting bloodborne pathogens for yourself and the people around you.
Specific jobs put people at higher risk where the transmission of bloodborne pathogens, which can happen in many places, from bathrooms to laboratories, hallways, and patient rooms.
In order to prevent and lower the risk of contracting bloodborne pathogens, it is important to learn more about bloodborne diseases, how they are transmitted, who is at high risks, and how to actively protect yourself against bloodborne pathogens.
This article is an overview of what bloodborne pathogens are and who needs to be extra careful.
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What are Bloodborne Pathogens?
Bloodborne pathogens refer to microorganisms in human blood that are infectious and can lead to various bloodborne diseases. Bloodborne pathogens typically include but are not limited to Hepatitis B (HBV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C (HCV), and other hemorrhagic fevers.
As pathogens can be transmitted in different ways, it is important to identify how pathogens are spread in order to find an effective plan to both cure and prevent transmission.
Simply put, bloodborne pathogens are identified as diseases that live in and are transmitted by contact with blood and blood-containing bodily fluids. Bloodborne diseases can be as simple to handle as the common cold or as dangerous and difficult to deal with as the Ebola Virus or HIV.
How are They Transmitted?
As bloodborne pathogens are transmitted through contact with infected blood and blood-containing body fluids, it is crucial to identify other potential sources of infectious body fluids for further prevention.
Other than blood, bodily fluids such as saliva, vaginal secretion, semen, cerebrospinal fluids, amniotic fluids, pleural fluids, synovial fluids can all potentially be contaminated with infected blood. Sexual contact is one common way in which some blood diseases are spread, but there are many others.
In particular cases such as giving first aid to an infected student in a classroom, handling infected blood samples in a laboratory, or cleaning a contaminated blood spill from a hallway can impose the risk of contracting a bloodborne pathogen.
Other cases of contracting HBV or HIV as a bloodborne disease can happen if you accidentally have a puncture from a contaminated sharp object such as a needle or broken glass, have contact between infected body fluids and damaged skin as well as experiencing transmissions from mothers to babies.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
Everyone should be aware of bloodborne pathogens and how transmissions take place. However, it is important for people who work in high-risk occupations that they have proper bloodborne pathogens training to keep themselves and other people around them safe.
Furthermore, according to two government agencies, including the Center for Disease Control (also known as “CDC”) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), awareness of bloodborne pathogens and safe practices should be acquired through proper training courses in order to lower exposure risks and foster a safe working environment.
You can click here to learn more about the OSHA training to see the detailed requirements. People who work in care facilities, hospitals, laboratories, courier services, pharmacies, and tattoo studios should all consider attending a bloodborne pathogen training course to protect themselves.
Who Needs Extra Protection?
Anyone can be exposed to bloodborne pathogens in their daily lives; however, some people are at higher risk than others.
For instance, people who need extra protection include healthcare workers, emergency responders, and cleaning professionals such as housekeepers, janitors, tattoo artists, and permanent makeup artists.
If you handle blood frequently or experience regular exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials, you will need extra protection from bloodborne pathogens.
How Can Exposure be Controlled?
Depending on your occupation and your expected work duties, you can either significantly reduce or completely eliminate exposure to bloodborne pathogens in your daily life.
Generally, most workplaces are required to implement an exposure control plan against bloodborne pathogens according to government regulations for workplace safety measurements.
From using protective working clothing and equipment to implementing safe work practices when handling potentially infectious objects, engineering controls are one of the primary ways to minimize workers’ exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Some typical engineering controls include using safe medical equipment such as a shielded needle device, a needleless device, or a plastic capillary tube.
In summary, bloodborne pathogens are generally identified as germs and microorganisms that can infect healthy individuals with bloodborne diseases such as HIV, HBV, or HCV. Bloodborne pathogens can be transmitted via blood and blood-containing body fluids.
Depending on different occupations, one person might be at a higher risk of contracting bloodborne pathogens than others. It is important for everyone to understand how bloodborne pathogens can spread in order to take extra precautions and prevent the spread of these diseases.