[Recommendations for surgical therapy planning and interventions in patients with AIDS]

No other disease has exhibited such a significant influence on the behaviour of health care workers (HCW) as the AIDS pandemic. Numerous epidemiological data, however, have proven that the overall risk of transmission of the human deficiency virus (HIV) during surgical interventions is low; it is 0.3% for all types of percutaneous exposures. Nevertheless, there still is a need for wider adoption of safer surgical techniques to reduce the chances of HIV transmission in the operation theatre, which additionally minimize the risk of transmission of other blood-borne pathogens. In the case of occupational exposure to HIV-contaminated blood or body secretions post-exposure prophylaxis should be recommended stratified by the type of exposure and source material.