title: Occupational HIV risk for health care workers: risk factor and the risk of infection in the course of professional activities.
abstract: Virtually created panic among health care workers about pandemic acquired immune deficiency syndrome prompted us to review the scientific literature to investigate the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission in the daily works of health care workers, especially surgeons and anesthesiologists. In this review, we report worldwide valuations of the number of HIV infections that may occur from unsafe daily work in health care. We also present how to minimize the risk of infection by taking precautions and how to utilize postexposure prophylaxis in accordance with the latest reports of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV-infected patients will be aging, and most of them will become the candidates for procedures such as major vascular reconstruction and artery bypass grafting, where the risks of blood contact and staff injury are high. For these reasons, all health care workers need to know how to prevent, and fight following the accidental exposure to HIV.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Military Hospital, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Przemysław
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wyżgowski
authors.affiliation: Public Health Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosiek
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Military Hospital, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grzela
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Military Hospital, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland; Public Health Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leksowski
keywords: HIV infection; anesthesiologist; risk factor; surgeons