Beth writes:
People who test positive for Hepatitis are dialyzed in an isolation room and are supposed to be treated by staff that don’t go back and forth between a patient that has hepatitis B and patients that don’t have it.
How would this be done? I have seen patients that were dialyed in an isolation room, but the nurses did go back and forth between that patient and the other patients.
Here’s a FAQ on hepatitis B from the U.S. CDC. It says that Hep B can live outside the body for 7 days and still be infectious!
The best thing is to do the following:
Don’t trade or accept food or items from other patients.
Don’t allow yourself to be touched by a staff member who has not washed their hands.
If a staff member comes to touch you and you know that they’ve touched another patient prior to coming to you, and they haven’t washed their hands, don’t let them touch you.
If possible, observe your station, prior to sitting down, and see if it has been cleaned. If not, don’t sit down.
If a Hepatitis Vaccine ever becomes available for dialysis patients, take it.
Keep yourself as healthy as possible in order to maintain a healthy immune system.
Wash your own hands before and after your dialysis treatment.
Don’t pick up magazines, pens or any other items in the dialyis unit.
Keep your hands out of your mouth and don’t pick your nose.
Don’t scratch your skin until it bleeds.
Don’t touch other patients. Smile, be polite and say hello and goodbye, but don’t touch.
Wash your hands after you have used the bathroom.
Carry a bottle of hand disinfectant with you, just in case you “dirty” your hands.
Keep pens and penciles out of your mouth.I think that about does it.
Joe Atkins
Infection control is sloppy throughout the industry. Hand disinfectant helps, if it’s easily available to the staff. Even patients that hold their own needle sites need to wash their hands before they leave the clinic area. Otherwise, they will be touching door knobs, car door handles, stering wheels, etc. Not only that, they will be taking germs home to their families. I can remember Hepatitis B going through entire families of dialysis patients and some of the family members died.
Always take Hepatitis B vaccination series, as it is offered. Any patient or staff person who refuses to take Hep B vaccinations should not be allowed in the facility. Vaccination, as well as improved infection control, is the only thing that reduced the disease that plagued dialysis provideres and patients in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Today, Hepatitis B is under control. Another great contribution to ridding ESRD of Hepatitis B has been the introduction of Epoietin Apla (EPO). Until EPO, patients received blood transfussion nearly every month in order to maintain a decent hematocrit. One point for Amgen.
Joe
And blood transfusions that people used to have to have before EPO used to be a source of Hepatitis B before screening was able to identify high risk people and testing was able to detect Hep B in the blood supply.