NOTES

There is no evidence to suggest that hospital staff involved in caring for AIDS/Hepatitis patients or working in hospital laboratories are at any greater risk with respect to HIV or Hepatitis than the general public. Inoculation injury includes contamination of non-intact skin, or (intact) mucosa with blood or body fluids and injuries caused by machines, tools or weapons that may be contaminated with blood – e.g:

• Health-care worker, accident while attending to a patient
• Police officers dealing with drug offenders
• Police officers, or bouncers involved in incidents with blood spillage
• Members of the public injured by discarded needles
• Human bite

ACCEPT:

• Workers in hospital laboratories or those caring for people with hepatitis if an no inoculation injury has occurred
• Workers who have been in contact with MRSA and/or other common hospital acquired infections

DEFER:

• For 4 months from the date of the incident if the donor has a history of inoculation injury, or contamination of mucosa or non-intact skin with blood or body fluids
• If the donor is still under follow up
• For 12 months if the donor had Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin (HBIG) following a known exposure to hepatitis B 
• For 4 months if the donor had received post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) following an inoculation injury with HIV positive blood

PERMANENTLY EXCLUDE:

• Workers with a history of inoculation injury with material containing abnormal prions