title: Blood exposure at the 2010 International Federation of Football Association World Cup: time for universal adaptation of universal precautions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Injuries involving blood exposure are relatively common in football. The goal of this observational study was to assess the use of universal precautions at the 2010 International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) World Cup.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational descriptive study of more than 4000 minutes of FIFA World Cup football.
  
  
  METHODS
  Televised matches of football in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the Republic of South Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injuries with visible blood that were attended to by health care providers were recorded.
  
  
  METHODS
  Number of injuries with visible blood in which gloves were used by responders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two significant bloody injuries were noted in more than 4000 minutes of play observed. In none of these cases were universal precautions implemented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This brief report shows the need for better implementation of universal precautions in football and other team sports.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Global Health Equity and Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Furin
mesh_terms: D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D017575:Gloves, Protective; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D016635:Universal Precautions