Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: realistic concerns and appropriate precautions

Few topics generate as much misinformation and fear as the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. As a result, many physicians and nurses believe that universal testing of hospitalized patients would decrease their risk of inadvertent exposure to undiagnosed carriers of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Quite the contrary may be the case. Therefore, in this article the advantages and disadvantages of routine testing are examined in relationship to established risk factors for health care personnel. Realistic concerns are discussed and appropriate precautions are stressed, while some of the myths are dispelled. These include potential transmission of HIV by saliva and mosquito bites, and the superiority of one glove material over another.