Infection hazards control

The effects of aciclovir and valaciclovir for anogenital herpes have been studied in HIV-infected individuals in two controlled trials (5). In the first study, 1062 patients with CD4-I- counts over 100 x 10 /1 received valaciclovir or aciclovir for 1 year and were assessed monthly. In the second study, 467 patients were treated episodically for at least 5 days with valaciclovir or aciclovir and were assessed daily. Valaciclovir was as effective as aciclovir for suppression and episodic treatment of herpesvirus infections. Hazard ratios for the time to recurrence with valaciclovir 500 mg bd and 1000 mg od compared with aciclovir were 0.73 (95% Cl = 0.50, 1.06) and 1.31 (0.94, 1.82). Valaciclovir 1000 mg bd and aciclovir had similar effects on the duration of infective episodes (HR = 0.92 Cl = 0.75, 1.14). The most common adverse events, which occurred at similar rates with all regimens, were diarrhea, headache, infections, rashes, nausea, rhinitis, pharyngitis, abdominal pain, fever, depression, and cough. 

Control of Infection. The proper control of occupational infection hazard requires an understanding of the routes of infection so that appropriate safe working practices may be devised. Infectious agents will not cause infection unless they enter the body in some way. These routes may be described as ... 

In Dimension 8 the striking distribution across the four gradations can most likely be attributed to the fields of action studied in foundries and steel factories, serious hazards are generally the rule. Working with infectious material, such as it is found in medical laboratories, was one of the themes of a substudy long-term health impairments result in the case of infection. With regard to the coordination of hazard control and work performance, the danger... 

The potential for spreading disease organisms from animals to humans and vice versa is not obvious to most people. These so-called zoonotic diseases include agents of all the major categories of infectious organisms viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. Infectious hazards are insidious, and therefore safe practices should be habitual and strictly enforced. All employees should be instructed as to the nature of these hazards and the means to take to protect animals and themselves from infection. Employees should also be instructed to report all personal illnesses to their supervisor. The supervisor can then determine whether or not it would be appropriate for the employee to have contact with test and control articles and test systems. 

Use of this procedure (1) eliminates the need for carrying starters in a factory and thus reduces the hazards of culture failure through infection by bacteriophage or for other reasons (2) enables the manufacturer of cultures to exert suitable control of quality so that the user is assured of a pure and active culture (3) avoids repeated transfer of the culture, thereby minimizing problems of strain dominance, and allows the user to mix pure cultures in the exact proportions desired and (4) enables the user to store cultures which are almost instantly active. 

Despite much research and development in parasitology in the tropical countries, parasitic infections are still a major health hazard for humans and animals. For example, it has been estimated that approximately three hundred million people in the world are affected by filariasis, a disease caused by nematodes filarioidea. While this is only one type of parasitic disease, it is clearly one of the most important concerns for public health in a large geographic region. In this review, I discuss an approach to control filariasis by the use of a new class of pharmacological agents, benzimidazoles. There are... 

Hazardous materials training levels. (1996). Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 17, 53-80. 

A (congenital or acquired) and type 1 von Willebrand disease, in which the VWF protein structure is normal but the plasma concentration is reduced (1). By contrast with conventional coagulation factor concentrates, desmopressin is cheap and is free from the risk of transmission of viral infections, which have proved such a problem in the past. It is also very useful in the treatment of carriers of hemophilia A, many of whom have significant reductions in the baseline concentration of factor VIII. By contrast, desmopressin has no effect on the concentration of factor IX, and is thus of no value in hemophilia B (Christmas disease). It is also of little value in type 2 (abnormal VWF structure) von Willebrand s disease, which accounts for about 15-20% of all cases. The administration of desmopressin to patients with type 2B von Willebrand s disease can be hazardous, as it is likely to cause thrombocytopenia (2). The use of desmopressin in bleeding disorders has been reviewed (3). Tachyphylaxis develops if desmopressin is used for prolonged periods to control bleeding disorders, because desmopressin causes release of stored factor VIII and von Willebrand factor, after which it takes time for them to accumulate again. 

Coates, D. Hutchinson, D. N. (1994) How to produce a hospital disinfection policy. JHosp Infect, 26,57-68. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations (1999) (SI4371999) ISBN 0 11 082087 8. 

Hazard is the potential danger associated with a particular virus, and risk is the probability that the hazard will be expressed as an exposure with the possibility of infection. Containment refers to the control measures used to reduce the possibility of exposure. Some authorities categorize viruses according to hazard (4,5), whereas others have drawn up a classification based on risk, which includes such factors as pathogenicity, transmissibility, prophylaxis, and therapeutic measures (6). 

Packaging line operators should be encouraged to report any minor health hazards, e.g. cuts, minor skin infections, so that informed decisions can be made as to their suitability for working in controlled areas. 

According to the American Hospital Infection Control Community, decontamination is a process that ensures an item is safe to handle by a health care worker without the need for protective clothing or equipment.The Occupational Safety and Health Guidance Manual for Hazardous Waste Site Activities defines decontamination as a process of removing or neutralizing contaminants that have accumulated on persoimel and equipment. ... 

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