Nurse working in an operation theatre must know, the risk of HIV infection with needle stick injury is about?

GMCH Chandigarh - 2019

Applied Microbiology & Infection control

Easy

Appeared in: GMCH Chandigarh - 2019

Explanation

The correct answer reflects the widely accepted epidemiological data on occupational HIV transmission.
The average risk of acquiring HIV from a percutaneous exposure (needle-stick) to HIV-infected blood is approximately 0.3%.
This statistic translates to a ratio of 1 in 300, making it a critical piece of knowledge for healthcare professionals to understand and manage occupational risks.

Option A: A risk of 1:100 (1%) significantly overestimates the average risk of HIV transmission from a needle-stick injury.
Option B: A risk of 1:200 (0.5%) is also an overestimation of the established average risk for HIV transmission via this route.
Option D: A risk of 1:400 (0.25%) is slightly lower than the most commonly cited average risk of 0.3%. While some studies show risks around 0.23%, the 1:300 figure is the standard for public health and clinical education.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Occupational health and safety, specifically the risk of transmission of bloodborne pathogens like HIV through needle-stick injuries helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Knowledge of this risk is fundamental for reinforcing the importance of universal precautions, safe sharps handling (e.g., no recapping of needles), and using safety-engineered devices.
Understanding the low but definite risk of HIV transmission empowers nurses to act swiftly and correctly by seeking immediate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which can significantly reduce the risk of seroconversion.
What if the source patient's HIV status is unknown? In this situation, the source patient should be asked for consent to be tested for HIV, HBV, and HCV. PEP for the healthcare worker is often started presumptively based on the exposure type and local HIV prevalence, and can be discontinued if the source patient tests negative.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question that tests your knowledge of a specific epidemiological statistic.
First, identify the key components of the question: 'HIV infection', 'needle stick injury', and 'risk'.
Recall the standard transmission risks for common bloodborne pathogens taught in nursing school and infection control modules.
The established risk for HIV percutaneous exposure is approximately 0.3%.
Convert the given ratios into percentages to compare them with the known value (e.g., 1:100 = 1%, 1:300 = 0.33%).
Select the option that most closely matches the standard, accepted figure of 0.3%.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Occupational health and safety, specifically the risk of transmission of bloodborne pathogens like HIV through needle-stick injuries.
Stem keywords: Nurse, operation theatre, HIV infection, needle stick injury, risk
Lead-in keywords: is about

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E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 pp. 1666-1668, 1605-1607