Symptoms Of Bloodborne Diseases You May Not Know



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If you are in medical or health care field, you are at higher risk of infection caused by Bloodborne Pathogens. These pathogens present in the blood, blood products and other body fluids like semen, vaginal secretion, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, synovial fluid and saliva in some dental procedures. If your job brings you into contact with blood or other bodily fluids, you should know how to protect yourself from Bloodborne Pathogens like hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV. Training must be given by your employer to understanding the nature of the disease and symptoms, so that you can take immediate steps to reduce the risk of developing a disease.)

Symptoms Of Bloodborne Diseases

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B virus causes the most serious liver disorder. This virus can be found in blood and other body fluid. Urine and feces may contain this virus in very small quantity, if they are visibly contaminated with blood. The virus can live on contaminated surfaces for up to a week. Many studies show that needle stick puncture is the most common reason for health care workers developing the disease.

Symptoms of hepatitis B

•The most common symptoms of acute hepatitis B infection include loss of appetite, headache, nausea, malaise and moderate fever.
•Some may experience mild flu like symptoms.
•Dark urine, anorexia, abdominal pain and extreme fatigue are the most severe symptoms of hepatitis B infection.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C virus causes post transfusion hepatitis. Health care

workers are less likely to acquire this virus. However, needle stick or other sharps injury can cause acquisition of hepatitis C virus.

Symptoms

•Acute hepatitis C virus infection can cause liver disease
•Some patients may develop cirrhosis and liver cancer.

HIV

HIV causes the most dangerous disease AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). The infection attacks the immune system and destroys the body's ability to protect itself against infection. HIV is transmitted from infected person to others via blood, breast milk and vaginal secretions. Blood transfusion and tissue transplants can cause HIV transmission. If the health care workers come into contact with the contaminated blood through broken or damaged skin, their risk of developing the disease is more.

Symptoms

•HIV causes the infected person to develop symptoms like discomfort in the lymph nodes and swelling in the initial stage. The symptoms last for more than three months.
•Fever, diarrhea, rash, fatigue and tender lymph nodes may be experienced by some patients.
•Loss of appetite, nausea and sore throat are some common symptoms.
•Some patients experience severe weight loss, constant or intermittent fatigue, chronic diarrhea and fever for more than a month.
•When the disease progresses, it can cause brain and neural disorders
•Pneumonia is one of the most common symptoms of AIDS that cause death in patients.

People of all ages and races can be infected with Bloodborne Pathogens. They may appear healthy, so it is crucial to treat all blood and body fluids as infected. Preventative measures should be taken on the basis of the concept of universal precautions.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act) and blood borne pathogen training is crucial for all health care workers who come into contact with blood or bodily fluids. The training helps them understand HIPAA security, privacy rule and details about blood borne pathogens, such as how they are spread, what precautionary actions should be taken and so on.

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