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Biomedical subjects

D C McPherson

Publications and source records attributed to D C McPherson.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Reducing occupational exposure to blood in the OR.

1. Many occupational exposures to blood in the operating room can be prevented. Some percutaneous injuries may not be preventable, but their frequency can be reduced by implementing engineering and work practice controls. Work practice controls and personal protective equipment can help eliminate mucocutaneous exposures to blood. 2. Identifying risk factors for intraoperative exposure is a vital step in presurgical and intraoperative assessment to plan infection prevention and control interventions. The decision to use risk reduction strategies should be based on probability and type of exposure anticipated rather than on the index of suspicion for bloodborne infection in the patient. 3. The responsibility for using safety and barrier precautions in the operating room remains that of the health-care worker. Not only the patient, but also the health-care worker need to be protected.

Blood↗
PubMed1992

Blood exposure and puncture risks for OR personnel.

1. Although all health-care workers are at risk for exposure to bloodborne organisms, OR personnel are the most intensively exposed to blood. Exposures to blood were noted in up to half of the procedures observed. 2. Risk-reduction strategies include using two pairs of puncture-resistant gloves and face protection for all procedures; wearing impermeable gowns during procedures with heavy blood loss; using surgical instruments and techniques that reduce the chance of percutaneous contacts; and adopting protocols for handling sharps, counting sponges, and cleaning the operating room. 3. Better and more comfortable personal protective equipment is needed. Manufacturers should develop risk-protective and cost-effective barriers that reduce risks for patients of surgical wound infections while reducing the risks for health-care workers of exposures to blood and bloodborne pathogens.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

A survey of nurses' knowledge, opinions, and reported uses of the Body Substance Isolation system.

The Body Substance Isolation (BSI) system was implemented at the University of California San Diego Medical Center in May 1987. About 2 years later, an evaluation was done of the long-term effects of BSI education and training on the knowledge, attitudes, and reported behaviors of nursing personnel. In June 1989, a questionnaire was sent to 600 nursing personnel, including all 100 nurses in the 20-bed surgical intensive care unit, all 66 charge nurses, and a random sample (434) of the remaining nursing staff (about 1000). Results from the 190 respondents (a response rate of 32%) indicated an understanding of the two purposes of BSI: (1) to reduce nosocomial infection risks to patients and (2) to reduce health care workers' risks of acquiring infections from patients. Over half of the respondents reported handling more than 11 needles per day and nearly half reported recapping contaminated needles two-handed "sometimes or often." Only 54% of the respondents reported they had received hepatitis B vaccine. Although more than two-thirds of the respondents had worked at the University of California San Diego Medical Center during the entire BSI system training, implementation, and follow-up period, there is still room for improvement in knowledge and use of the system, including issues related to the safe handling of sharps.

California↗
PubMed1991

Hepatitis A through E--current and future trends.

1. Five viruses have now been identified that each cause a different type of hepatitis, A through E. 2. The majority of people with viral hepatitis recover uneventfully; however, in some persons with HBV and HCV, a chronic carrier state develops that may persist for a lifetime. 3. Operating room nurses are at greatest risk for HBV if they are not immunized; they can prevent HBV by obtaining hepatitis B vaccine and adhering to standard OR practices plus using eye protection.

Hepatitis, Viral, Human↗