Infection control. Nursing management of a patient with hepatitis A and B

The Infection Control precautions for hepatitis B are those of "Blood and Body Fluid Precautions" and those of "Universal Precautions". Gloves, preferably latex, are worn when there is to be contact with blood and body fluid. Goggles/masks are worn when there is a danger of splashing or aerosol of blood-contaminated secretions. A plastic apron, or water repellant gown, may be indicated if there is a danger of splashing. Hand washing before and after contact with blood and body fluid, even if gloves are worn. Specimens are treated as biohazard. Refuse and linen are treated as infectious. It is important to establish if the patient is in the acute phase, a carrier, or not. Education of the patient about the disease, is very important, especially in the carrier. This poses a problem when there is a language barrier. This is a sensitive subject and must be handled tactfully, especially if the mode of transmission was sexual. Safe sex must be discussed. The partner, and the newborn baby must be assessed and immunised. The transmission of hepatitis A is mainly faeco-oral, and the infection control measures those called "Enteric Precautions", or blood and body fluid precautions. These include the wearing of latex gloves when handling faeces, urine, saliva, and blood. Handwashing is essential. The patient has his own bedpan, urinal, crockery and cutlery. Isolation is continued for the first two weeks of the illness, and one week after the onset of jaundice. The Infection Control management for hepatitis A is slightly different to that of hepatitis B, C, and Non-A Non-B.