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AIDS and Prehospital Personnel: Knowledge and Prevention of Occupational Exposure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

George A. Gellert ,
Roberta M. Maxwell ,
Kathleen V. Higgins ,
Rebecca Barnard  and
Brandon Page
George A. Gellert*
Affiliation:
200 N. 16th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Roberta M. Maxwell
Affiliation:
200 N. 16th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Kathleen V. Higgins
Affiliation:
200 N. 16th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Rebecca Barnard
Affiliation:
200 N. 16th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Brandon Page
Affiliation:
Orange County Health Care Agency, Santa Ana, California
*
200 N. 16th St. Philadelphia, PA 19102USA
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Abstract

Objectives:

Prehospital personnel, including law enforcement officers, paramedics, and fire-fighters, may be exposed to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) while working. This study of prehospital personnel sought to determine: 1) their knowledge of the acquired immune syndrome (AIDS) and HIV transmission; 2) the extent of AIDS training received; 3) self-assessment of risk for HIV infection; and 4) precautions adopted to reduce occupational risk of exposure to HIV.

Methods:

A survey was administered to prehospital personnel in a large Southern California jurisdiction. The response rate was 41% (n = 1,756) in 10 city and county departments where respondents were employed. Law enforcement officers (44%), firefighters (44%), and paramedics (12%) comprised the sample.

Results:

Respondents had accurate knowledge about AIDS, but incorrect perceptions about HIV transmission. A minority believed that HIV could be contracted from casual contact. Training relating to AIDS was not frequent. Preventive practices were infrequent in the work setting, with precautions used less than 50% of the time on eight of 10 measures. One-third of these prehospital personnel assessed their risk for HIV infection as medium to high, largely attributable to fear of occupational exposure.

Conclusions:

Improved educational programs regarding HIV/AIDS are needed for prehospital personnel to increase the use of preventive occupational practices in the field.

Keywords

acquired immune syndromeeducationfirefightershuman immunodeficiency viruslaw enforcementparamedicprehospital
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 11 , Issue 2 , June 1996 , pp. 112 - 116
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1996

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References

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