HIV Transmission, Healthcare Workers and Media Hype

Early in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for AIDS patients recognized the potential for transmission of AIDS in the workplace. Discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the development and application of serologic testing for HIV caused many HCWs to breathe a sigh of relief. A. few were not so fortunate. The plethora of information related to HIV transmission published thus far has relieved most HCWs, for in fact the of nosocomial infection appears and is seemingly related to direct exposure to blood. However, recent events suggest a growing concern among HCWs related to their of occupational exposure and infection. Notably, a surgeon from San Francisco, California recently appeared on ABC's Nightline and CBS' 60 Minutes and suggested that the occupational of HIV infection is underestimated by AIDS experts. The two programs alluded to or directly accused several AIDS researchers and agencies of obscuring data and misleading HCWs with regard to HIV transmission in the workplace. This national media attention properly jars HCWs into examining the facts and figures behind the statement that there is a low risk of becoming infected in the workplace. This editorial attempts to summarize the approaches employed to determine occupational risk. of HIV and to put occupational and prevention in perspective. Although several retrospective cases of occupational HIV infection have been reported, these reports provide little insight into the degree of per exposure. The best data related to HIV transmis-