International News

NEW SOUTH WALES

Medical Board takes precautions against infected practitioners

The New South Wales Medical Board has adopted a Board Policy Statement to lessen the risk of practitioners transmitting HIV and other blood borne viruses to patients. Because the definition of exposure-prone procedures continues to evolve, the Board will review its statement within 12 months.

The Statement sets forth the following practice guidelines:

• Basic infection control procedures must be used whenever patients are examined and treated (use of sterilization, disinfection, proper management of waste, etc.).
• "Exposure-prone procedures" are characterized by the potential for direct contact between the skin of the health care worker and sharp surgical instruments, needles, or sharp tissues (bones or teeth) in body cavities or in poorly visualized or confined body sites (including the mouth).
• Any practitioner performing exposure-prone procedures should be tested for HIV and other blood-borne infections yearly.
• If a practitioner is infected with a blood borne virus, he or she must refrain from exposure-prone procedures, but may continue to practice if not otherwise impaired.
• Although mandatory reporting to the Board of the impaired practitioner's condition is not required, anyone aware of a practitioner who places the public at risk has a professional responsibility to notify the Director-General of Health [source: Federation Bulletin, 84:1 (1997): 65].