- Email: [email protected]
Are you positive or negative?
EDITORIAL GENERALINFORMATION REGULAR SUBSCRIPTIONS To s u b s c r i b e to The Journal of Air Medical Transport, to change the address of your current subscription, or to ask questions about your subscription, call 801-228-9626 or write the business once. Subscription rates for North America: $30 per year for 12 issues or $52 for two years for 24 issues. Subscribers outside North America add $18 per year for airmail postage. All foreign subscribers remit in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank or make payment with American Express, VISA or MasterCard. ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIPTIONS Paid-up m e m b e r s of AAMS, NFNA, NFPA and NEMSPA receive an annual subscription with their association membership. Questions regarding subscription and address changes should be directed to the appropriate association office. BACK ISSUES Back issues prepayable at $5 each. EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS The Journal of Air Medical Transport encourages article queries and submissions. Article submissions should include 5 printed copies accompanied with a 5-1/4 or 3 - 1 / 2 - i n c h d i s k e t t e . WordPerfect software preferred. Submissions should be sent to t h e editorial office and be accompanied by return postage. Editorial guidelines available upon request. Telephone 801-2265555 or FAX 801-226-8804 for more information. The Journal of Air Medical Transport takes precautions to provide accurate information and does not accept any liability for errors or omissions inadvertently caused by contributors.
ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries should be directed to Jeff Harmon, 801-226-5555. LETTERS Letters should be mailed to the JAMT editorial office c / o Letters. The writer's name, city and state must be included. We reserve the right to edit letters. REPRINT INFORMATION R e p r o d u c t i o n in w h o l e is p r o h i b i t e d . Photocopying of indMdual segments for research purposes is permitted, provided proper source credits are included. © 1991 The Journal of Air Medical Transport (ISSN: 1046-9095) is p u b l i s h e d m o n t h l y by WordPerfect Publishing Corporation. Editorial and executive offices at 270 West Center, Orem, Utah 84057. Second-class postage paid at Orem, Utah. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Journal of Air Medical Transport, 270 West Center, Orem, Utah 84057. Subscription rates for U.SJ and possessions: $30 per year for 12 issues, $52 for two years for 24 issues. Subscribers outside the United States and C a n a d a - add $18 p e r y e a r for airmail postage. All foreign subscribers - remit payment in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank or make paym e n t with A m e r i c a n E x p r e s s , VISA or MasterCard.
Are You Positive or N egative? •
Rene~ Semonin-Holleran
LEGISLATION IS NOW BEING CONSIDERED
that would require all h e a l t h c a r e providers to be tested for the HIV virus. Healthcare providers would then be required to inform patients about that status. This legislation has evolved from the unfortunate tragedy of three patients who contracted the virus from their infected dentist. In addition, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), along with multiple nursing and medical organizations, is composing a list of Exposure Prone P r o c e d u r e s (EPP) t h a t expose patients to the possibility of contracting the virus from h e a l t h c a r e providers. Some of the identified procedures include open thoracotomy with suturing and digital oral blocks. From 1981 to 1990, the CDC has r e p o r t e d 40 cases of h e a l t h c a r e providers infected with the HIV virus from patients) Since the disease was first described in 1981 to July of 1991, 118,411 people have died from AIDS. This is an important issue that needs to be examined by every air medical professional. First, we need to ensure that our programs have well-defined policies related to infection control. Precautions should be practiced by everyone who provides patient care. The Commission on Accreditation of Air Medical Services (CAAMS) makes the following recommendations for infection control management: Rene# Semonin-Holleran is chief flight nurse at University Air Care, University of Cincinnati Hospital, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Journal of Air Medical Transport ° November 1991
• Use gloves, eye, as well as mouth protection • Use Sharps disposal containers for needles and a disposal container for soiled items • Clean and disinfect the patient cabin area, equipment, and the soiled uniforms of personnel • Have a mechanism in place for identifying those at risk for exposure to infectious diseases • Have a plan in place (including care and follow-up) to notify those who may have had a significant exposure to infection • Institute policies for transporting infected patients • Wash hands before and after each patient2 In the N o v e m b e r issue of The
Journal of Air Medical Transport, Applying Research to Practice features three abstracts that discuss this issue. Two of the abstracts discuss the incidence of infectious diseases. The third addresses the issues related to the HIV-infected emergency healthcare provider and offers some guidelines. As healthcare providers, we will need to make a decision, and soon, about mandatory testing. We need to meticulously practice universal precautions to continue to provide our patients with a safe transport environment and excellent medical care. • References 1. S A E M E t h i c s C o m m i t t e e . T h e HIVinfected e m e r g e n c y h e a l t h c a r e professional. Annals of Emergency Medicine 20(9):1036-40. 2. C o m m i s s i o n on A c c r e d i t a t i o n of Air Medical Services, 1991, p. 32.
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ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries should be directed to Jeff Harmon, 801-226-5555. LETTERS Letters should be mailed to the JAMT editorial office c / o Letters. The writer's name, city and state must be included. We reserve the right to edit letters. REPRINT INFORMATION R e p r o d u c t i o n in w h o l e is p r o h i b i t e d . Photocopying of indMdual segments for research purposes is permitted, provided proper source credits are included. © 1991 The Journal of Air Medical Transport (ISSN: 1046-9095) is p u b l i s h e d m o n t h l y by WordPerfect Publishing Corporation. Editorial and executive offices at 270 West Center, Orem, Utah 84057. Second-class postage paid at Orem, Utah. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Journal of Air Medical Transport, 270 West Center, Orem, Utah 84057. Subscription rates for U.SJ and possessions: $30 per year for 12 issues, $52 for two years for 24 issues. Subscribers outside the United States and C a n a d a - add $18 p e r y e a r for airmail postage. All foreign subscribers - remit payment in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank or make paym e n t with A m e r i c a n E x p r e s s , VISA or MasterCard.
Are You Positive or N egative? •
Rene~ Semonin-Holleran
LEGISLATION IS NOW BEING CONSIDERED
that would require all h e a l t h c a r e providers to be tested for the HIV virus. Healthcare providers would then be required to inform patients about that status. This legislation has evolved from the unfortunate tragedy of three patients who contracted the virus from their infected dentist. In addition, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), along with multiple nursing and medical organizations, is composing a list of Exposure Prone P r o c e d u r e s (EPP) t h a t expose patients to the possibility of contracting the virus from h e a l t h c a r e providers. Some of the identified procedures include open thoracotomy with suturing and digital oral blocks. From 1981 to 1990, the CDC has r e p o r t e d 40 cases of h e a l t h c a r e providers infected with the HIV virus from patients) Since the disease was first described in 1981 to July of 1991, 118,411 people have died from AIDS. This is an important issue that needs to be examined by every air medical professional. First, we need to ensure that our programs have well-defined policies related to infection control. Precautions should be practiced by everyone who provides patient care. The Commission on Accreditation of Air Medical Services (CAAMS) makes the following recommendations for infection control management: Rene# Semonin-Holleran is chief flight nurse at University Air Care, University of Cincinnati Hospital, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Journal of Air Medical Transport ° November 1991
• Use gloves, eye, as well as mouth protection • Use Sharps disposal containers for needles and a disposal container for soiled items • Clean and disinfect the patient cabin area, equipment, and the soiled uniforms of personnel • Have a mechanism in place for identifying those at risk for exposure to infectious diseases • Have a plan in place (including care and follow-up) to notify those who may have had a significant exposure to infection • Institute policies for transporting infected patients • Wash hands before and after each patient2 In the N o v e m b e r issue of The
Journal of Air Medical Transport, Applying Research to Practice features three abstracts that discuss this issue. Two of the abstracts discuss the incidence of infectious diseases. The third addresses the issues related to the HIV-infected emergency healthcare provider and offers some guidelines. As healthcare providers, we will need to make a decision, and soon, about mandatory testing. We need to meticulously practice universal precautions to continue to provide our patients with a safe transport environment and excellent medical care. • References 1. S A E M E t h i c s C o m m i t t e e . T h e HIVinfected e m e r g e n c y h e a l t h c a r e professional. Annals of Emergency Medicine 20(9):1036-40. 2. C o m m i s s i o n on A c c r e d i t a t i o n of Air Medical Services, 1991, p. 32.
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