Reducing occupational exposure to blood in the OR

1. Many occupational exposures to blood in the operating room can be prevented. Some percutaneous injuries may not be preventable, but their frequency can be reduced by implementing engineering and work practice controls. Work practice controls and personal protective equipment can help eliminate mucocutaneous exposures to blood. 2. Identifying risk factors for intraoperative exposure is a vital step in presurgical and intraoperative assessment to plan infection prevention and control interventions. The decision to use risk reduction strategies should be based on probability and type of exposure anticipated rather than on the index of suspicion for bloodborne infection in the patient. 3. The responsibility for using safety and barrier precautions in the operating room remains that of the health-care worker. Not only the patient, but also the health-care worker need to be protected.