Prevention and Treatment of Injuries Oak Ridge High School Conroe, Texas

Bloodborne Pathogens Are transmitted through contact with blood or other bodily fluids The two BIGGIES are hepatitis, especially hepatitis B (HBV), and HIV which causes AIDS.

Hepatitis B Virus Inflammation of the liver Symptoms: Flu Like symptoms Fatigue Weakness Nausea Abdominal pain Headache Fever jaundice

Hepatitis B Virus It is possible that the virus can go undetected because an infected individual will not show any signs Disease can be transmitted to others through exposure to blood or body fluids through intimate contact.

Hepatitis B Virus HBV can survive for at least one week in dried blood or on contaminated surfaces and may be transmitted through contact with these surface. Get the vaccination!! Given over three doses in a six month period.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus HIV is a retrovirus that enters the host cell and changes the RNA to a proviral DNA replica. 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the U.S. 14,000 people infected with HIV die each year in the U.S. 50,000 Americans become newly infected each year

50,000 Americans per Year

HIV Transmitted by exposure to infected blood or other body fluids or by intimate sexual contact. Can possibly survive in dried blood with ideal conditions for up to 5 or 6 days Symptoms: Fatigue Weight loss Muscle or joint pain Painful or swollen glands Night sweats Fever

Prevention Safe Sex is of major importance Avoid contact with body fluids Do not share needles Avoid drugs that impair judgment Do not have sex with those know HIV + Get regular test for STDs Practice good hygiene before and after sex

Athletes and HIV An athlete that is HIV+ can not be discriminated against from playing athletics. Protecting others from the risk of infection then is the priority of the trainer, coach and officials.

Athletes and HIV Mandatory screening for HIV may not be allowed to determine if one can play sports. Encourage those who are at high risk to get voluntary anonymous testing. Many states have confidentiality laws, and you should be aware of the laws of your state.

Precautions Remove athlete with bleeding site from competition or practice Saturated uniform must be removed and replaced Commercial products to remove blood from uniforms for small spots WEAR GLOVES!! Protect yourself

Precautions Use antigermicidal agent for washing hands immediately after working with blood or body fluids. Dispose in biohazard containers Clean all tables, counters, etc that might be contaminated Place biohazard warnings on containers

HIV Current Treatments There is no cure for HIV, but ART (antiretroviral therapy) can help control the virus ART is a series of medicines that prevent the virus from multiplying This reduces the amount of HIV in the body and helps reduce risk of transmission If left untreated, HIV will eventually progress to AIDS

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Without treatment, people who progress to AIDS typically survive about 3 years. Once you have a dangerous opportunistic illness, life-expectancy without treatment falls to about 1 year. However, if you are taking ART and maintain a low viral load, then you may enjoy a near normal life span. You will most likely never progress to AIDS. 

MRSA - Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body. It's tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus -- or staph -- because it's resistant to some commonly used antibiotics.

MRSA The symptoms of MRSA depend on where you're infected. Most often, it causes mild infections on the skin, causing pimples or boils. But it can also cause more serious skin infections or infect surgical wounds, the bloodstream, the lungs, or the urinary tract.

MRSA Though most MRSA infections aren't serious, some can be life-threatening. Many public health experts are alarmed by the spread of tough strains of MRSA. Because it's hard to treat, MRSA is sometimes called a "super bug."

What causes MRSA? Garden-variety staph are common bacteria that can live on our bodies. Plenty of healthy people carry staph without being infected by it. In fact, 1/3 or 33% of us have staph bacteria in our noses.

What causes MRSA? Staph can be a problem if it manages to get into the body, often through a cut. Once there, it can cause an infection. Staph is one of the most common causes of skin infections in the U.S. Usually, these are minor and don't need special treatment. Less often, staph can cause serious problems like infected wounds or pneumonia.

MRSA Staph can usually be treated with antibiotics. But over the decades, some strains of staph -- like MRSA -- have become resistant to antibiotics that once destroyed it. MRSA was first discovered in 1961. It's now resistant to methicillin, amoxicillin, penicillin, oxacillin, and many other antibiotics. While some antibiotics still work, MRSA is constantly adapting. Researchers developing new antibiotics are having a tough time keeping up.

Who gets MRSA? MRSA is spread by contact. So you could get MRSA by touching another person who has it on the skin. Or you could get it by touching objects that have the bacteria on them. MRSA is carried, or "colonized," by about 1% of the population, although most of them aren't infected.