Infection Control

2330 Words5 Pages

Infection control is very important in the health care profession. Health care professionals, who do not practice proper infection control, allow themselves to become susceptible to a number of infections. Among the most dreaded of these infections are: hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Another infection which has more recently increased in prevalence is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These infections are all treated differently. Each infection has its own symptoms, classifications, and incubation periods. These infections are transmitted in very similar fashions, but they do not all target the same population.

Hepatitis B was the first of the hepatitis viruses to be discovered. There are seven genotypes for hepatitis B (Zein & Edwards, 2009). There are two forms of the disease, acute and chronic. Acute hepatitis B is a form which lasts less than six months, whereas chronic hepatitis B lasts from six months on. Symptoms of acute hepatitis B include: fever, abdominal upset, nausea, decreased appetite, vomiting, and changes in the way things taste or smell (Zein & Edwards, 2009). Some individuals infected with acute hepatitis B display symptoms, while others show no symptoms. Acute hepatitis B often goes undetected as a result.

When acute hepatitis B is suspected the doctor should perform liver function tests (Zein & Edwards, 2009). These tests will reveal raised levels of AST and ALT when infected. Normally the levels will gradually decrease over the passage of the disease. Acute hepatitis B also results in raised levels of bilirubin concentration (Worman, 2006). Acute hepatitis B is often resolved suddenly. Acute hepatitis B can also result in ful...

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...lomavirus (HPV), pelvic inflammatory disease, syphilis, trichomoniasis, vaginal infections, and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including recent facts about prevalence, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention : along with tips on discussing and living with STDs, updates on current research and vaccines, a glossary of related terms, and resources for additional help and information (4th ed.). Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics.

Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November 13, 2011, from http://www.mayoclinic.com

Rumack, C. M., Wilson, S. R., & Charboneau, J. W. (2005). Diagnostic ultrasound (3rd ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby.

Worman, H. J. (2006). The liver disorders and hepatitis sourcebook (Updated ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Zein, N. N., & Edwards, K. (2009). The Cleveland Clinic guide to liver disorders. New York: Kaplan Pub.

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