[Occupationally-induced risk of HIV infection in medical personnel]

Since hepatitis-B immune prophylaxis is possible, HIV infection could become the most important risk of infection facing medical personnel. Today, it must be assumed that HIV infection almost always leads to the fatal disease AIDS. The principal source of infection for medical personnel is patients' blood. The disease is usually transmitted parenterally, as a result of inoculation by a needle prick or similar injury. Blood contact with non-intact skin or mucosae can also lead to infection. In prospective studies, HIV infection was found in approximately 0.5% of cases following needle-prick injuries with anti-HIV-positive blood. The HIV infection risk for medical personnel thus ultimately depends on the frequency of needle prick-type injuries and the number of anti-HIV-positive patients. Assuming that there are 50,000-100,000 anti-HIV-positive persons in the Federal Republic of Germany (Federal Health Authority estimate) the occupational risk to the life of a surgeon sustaining 40 injuries per year could be over 1%. In densely-populated areas with above average contamination of patients a higher HIV infection risk must be expected. An increase in contamination in the next few years would also lead to an increased risk of infection.