Control of transmission of HIV and other bloodborne pathogens in biomechanical cadaveric testing

The Bioengineering Center at Wayne State University uses universal blood and body fluid precautions when handling human cadavers in biomechanical testing. Our infection control protocol largely follows the precautions outlined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In addition, we screen each cadaver for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) before accepting a cadaver for biomechanical tests. This paper discusses acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and infection control guidelines by addressing the following: (a) what is AIDS? (b) How infectious is the HIV virus, which causes AIDS? (c) What precautions should be taken in cadaveric testing to safeguard against HIV and other bloodborne pathogens? The infection control procedures presented in this paper can be adapted to whole-body cadaveric testing or to the testing of tissue specimens.