In: Nursing
Box 1-6. Bloodborne and Airborne Illnesses Although the risk of catching a disease when giving first aid care is very low, whenever you give care, there is the potential to be exposed to an infectious disease. Of particular concern are diseases that are not easily treated and can have long-term effects on your health, should you become infected. Using personal protective equipment (PPE) reduces your risk for catching an infectious disease significantly. Bloodborne Illnesses
■ HIV is a virus that invades and destroys the cells that help us to fight off infections. A person who is infected with HIV may look and feel healthy for many years. However, during this time, the virus is breaking down the person’s immune system. Eventually, a person who is infected with HIV may develop acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). A person with AIDS is unable to fight off infections that a healthy person would be able to resist or control. The person dies from one of these infections. Although medications have been developed to help slow the progression of HIV infection, currently there is no cure.
■ Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, an organ that performs many vital functions for the body. There are many different types and causes of hepatitis. Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and hepatitis D are caused by infection with bloodborne viruses. Chronic infection with the viruses that cause hepatitis B, C or D can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and other serious conditions. Airborne Illnesses
■ Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection of the lungs that is spread through the air from one person to another. Although tuberculosis primarily affects the lungs, it can also affect the bones, brain, kidneys and other organs. If not treated, tuberculosis can be fatal. Treatment is complex and involves taking many different medications over an extended period of time
Answer the following questions in your own words.
QUESTION:
. Describe what bloodborne and airborne illnesses are, and the different types of disease associated with them?
Communicable diseases are illnesses caused by a particular infectious agent or its toxic products which is capable of being transmitted from one host to another through different forms. There are different modes of disease transmission. The mode of Transmission will depend upon the disease agent, portal of entry, and other environmental conditions. It can be a direct transmission or indirect transmission. Direct transmission occurs through direct contact, droplet infection, contact with soil, inoculation into skin or mucosa, transplacental transmission etc. The methods of indirect transmission includes vehicle Borne transmission (water, food, ice, blood, serum, plasma or other biological products), vector-borne, Airborne, fomite Borne, through unclean hands and fingers etc.
Illnesses can be transmitted directly from an infected person to a susceptible host through droplet infection. In droplet infection there is direct projection of saliva and nasopharyngeal secretions, when the infected person speaks, coughs, sneezes or spits. The droplets can directly enter the respiratory tract, mucosa, skin or conjunctiva of another host. The risk of getting the infection is increased in conditions when there is close contact, overcrowding and lack of ventilation. Examples of diseases which are transmitted through droplet infection include tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, menigococcal meningitis, many other respiratory infections, eruptive fevers etc.
Airborne illnesses transmit through droplet nuclei and through dust. Droplet nuclei are the dried residue of droplets which is formed by evaporation of the droplets into the air. These are very small particles. Examples of diseases transmitted through droplet nuclei include tuberculosis, influenza, and many other respiratory infections, chicken pox, measles etc.
The larger droplets expelled from the infective patients can settle down and form a part of the dust. The dust may contain various infective agents especially in hospitals and other Healthcare settings. Dust play a major role in transmitting diseases. Examples are pneumonia, tuberculosis, streptococcal and staphylococcal infections, fungal infections etc.
Bloodborne illnesses are the illnesses which are transmitted through the agency of blood or blood products. Examples include hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, AIDS, viral hemorrhagic fevers like Lassa fever etc. This can occur through contact with contaminated blood and blood products as in needkestick injuries, sharing the needles as in case of drug abuse, blood transfusions etc. Hospital staff like nurses, doctors, lab technicians ect. are at high risk of occupational exposure to blood borne illnesses.
Preventive measures for blood transfusion include following standard precautions at hospitals and healthcare settings like Universal safety precautions & PPE. Sharing of needles need to be avoided. Avoid contact with contaminated blood and blood products and body fluids.
Examples for Air Borne illnesses include Covid-19, Mumps, Measles, SARS, MERS, Cryptococcosis, Pneumonia, Anthrax, Tuberculosis, Influenza etc. The precautions and preventive measures include maintaining respiratory hygiene during coughing sneezing, social distancing, wearing a protective mask, using PPE wherever necessary, hand washing and following other basic infection control measures.