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Risk of Infection

	Transmission risk	Comments
HIV	percutaneous exposure (e.g. needlestick) 0.3% mucous membrane exposure 0.1% non-intact skin <0.1% intact skin ~ 0%	High risk percutaneous injuries: - deep injury - visible blood in device - source with high viral load, e.g., acute HIV infection end stage AIDS - large volume (needle removed from artery or vein of source; hollow-bore higher risk than solid needle)
Hepatitis B	percutaneous exposure (e.g. needlestick): Source HBsAg + and: - HBeAg +: 37-62% - HBeAg -: 23-37%	All health care workers should be vaccinated against Hepatitis B and response to vaccine confirmed with serology (antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen, i.e. HBsAb or Anti-HBs)
Hepatitis C	1.8% (0-7%)	Most common blood-borne virus

Transmission risk

Comments

HIV

percutaneous exposure (e.g. needlestick) 0.3%

mucous membrane exposure 0.1%

non-intact skin <0.1%

intact skin ~ 0%

High risk percutaneous injuries:
- deep injury
- visible blood in device
- source with high viral load, e.g.,

acute HIV infection
end stage AIDS

- large volume (needle removed from artery or vein of source; hollow-bore higher risk than solid needle)

Hepatitis B

percutaneous exposure (e.g. needlestick):

Source HBsAg + and:
- HBeAg +: 37-62%
- HBeAg -: 23-37%

All health care workers should be vaccinated against Hepatitis B and response to vaccine confirmed with serology (antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen, i.e. HBsAb or Anti-HBs)

Hepatitis C

1.8% (0-7%)

Most common blood-borne virus