title: Occupational health issues for providers of care to patients with HIV infection.
abstract: The perception that HIV is a highly contagious nosocomial pathogen persists despite a great deal of evidence to the contrary. However, health care workers are at a low but finite risk of occupational infection with the virus, particularly through accidental needle-stick inoculations with infected blood. Universal blood and body fluid precautions minimize the risk of nosocomial transmission of a variety of pathogens, including HIV, and should be routinely employed by all health care workers for all patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gerberding
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000635:transmission*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D006280:Health Workforce; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000635:transmission*; D012307:Risk Factors