PubMed · 11421099
The source did not provide an abstract. Follow the original record for more information.
Explore connections, maps & timelines
J Laws. 2001. A solid utility plan.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11421099/
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.
KEEP EXPLORING
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission following a needlestick is an important threat to health care workers. We present the case of a 29-year-old medical intern who sustained a needlestick injury from a source patient known to be infected with both human immunodeficiency virus and HCV. The case patient subsequently developed acute HCV infection. The optimal strategy for diagnosing HCV infection after occupational exposures has not been defined. At a minimum, HCV antibody and alanine aminotransferase testing should be done within several days of exposure (to assess if the health care worker is already infected with HCV) and 6 months after percutaneous, mucosal, or nonintact skin exposure to blood or infectious body fluids from an HCV-infected patient. Currently, it is not possible to prevent HCV infection after exposure. However, recent data suggest that early treatment of acute HCV infection with interferon alpha may be highly effective in preventing chronic HCV infection. These data underscore the importance of identifying persons with acute HCV infection and promptly referring them to experienced clinicians who can provide updated counseling and treatment.
From 1981 to 2001 disposable mercury monitors based on palladium chloride have been deployed in 3,568 dental surgeries throughout the United Kingdom. They have performed well as first-level indicators of high concentrations of mercury vapour in surgeries that had become contaminated by spillage of mercury or faulty equipment. Whilst accumulated data suggests that mercury hygiene practices have improved over the past 20 years, the move to the use of disposable capsules rather than automatic amalgamators does not appear to have been a major factor in this improvement.