title: [Usefulness of warning flags in the handling of biological samples in an emergency room].
abstract: The present study evaluates the utility of biohazard precautions labels for identifying biological samples of patients with probable severe transmissible infectious diseases. The study was performed in a total of 633 patients in the emergency department of a General Hospital. In an anonymous way we determine the presence or absence of serological markers of HIV and hepatitis B infection (HBsAg) and we evaluated the labeling of the sample. Our results demonstrate the very low usefulness of this common procedure: a total of 54.5% of HIV positive patients and 87.5% of those positive to HBsAg were not marked correctly. We discuss the necessity of using universal precautions instead of labeling samples in the current way.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Virgen del Camino, Pamplona.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Oteo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosino
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martínez de Artola
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Casas
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Acha
mesh_terms: D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003264:Containment of Biohazards / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016635:Universal Precautions
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies
vernacular_title: Utilidad de los distintivos de precaución en el manejo de muestras biológicas en un servicio de urgencias.