Infectious occupational exposures in dermatology–A review of risks and prevention measures

Safety Precautions in Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Patients with Known Blood-Borne Infections: A Survey-Based Study

“…[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] As a result, wearing double sets of gloves has been advocated during dermatologic surgery. 1,14 Using blunt rather than sharp skin hooks and the "no touch" technique of substituting instrumentation for fingers when performing operative tasks such as loading the needle on the needle driver and stabilizing the wound margin have also been recommended to reduce injury risk. 1,14 Human papilloma virus DNA has been identified in smoke plumes generated from laser and electrosurgery, and the rate of nasopharyngeal warts was shown to be significantly higher in surgeons who use carbon dioxide lasers than in clinic patients with warts.…”

“…Although many pathogens are considered to be blood borne, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are the most common of those acquired by health care workers in the occupational setting. 1,2 It was estimated that 66,000 HBV, 16,000 HCV, and 1,000 HIV occupational infections occurred worldwide among health care workers in 2000. 2 The prevalence of HIV, HBV, and HCV in the U.S. population is roughly 1.1 million, 0.8 million to 1.4 million, and 2.7 million to 3.9 million, respectively.…”

Practical Techniques to Enhance the Safety of Health Care Workers in Office-Based Surgery

“…The guidelines for management of percutaneous exposure are available online from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 3,6…”

“…The HCW should keep all sharp instruments visible on the tray before starting the procedure and keep them visible at all times. 6 This is important to prevent accidental injury by picking a sharp instrument from the wrong side.…”

“…Any sharp instruments must be disposed of in a puncture-resistant container immediately after use. 6 The HCW should not recap used needles. Among medical and surgical staff, needlesticks are the most common injuries (74%), with an average frequency of 0.63 per resident-year among nonsurgical residents and 3.8 per resident-year among surgical residents.…”