Management of Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens

Percutaneous exposure to blood is frequent in health care settings. Fortunately, transmission of bloodborne pathogens (hepatitis B virus [HBV], hepatitis C virus [HCV] and human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]) occurs infrequently due to their low prevalence in the general population and the efficacy of hepatitis B immunization. Transmission rates are highest following percutaneous exposure to HBV positive blood (25.0%), intermediate for HCV (2.5%) and lowest for HIV (0.25%).