Hello,
How safe its it to be around a patient with AIDS with contact lenses and eye examinations and taking measurements for eye glasses? Please respond.
Christine
Hello,
How safe its it to be around a patient with AIDS with contact lenses and eye examinations and taking measurements for eye glasses? Please respond.
Christine
Christine:
I don't dispense contacts, but I have measured and fit several aids patients for glasses in the last several years. SO far as I can tell, normal precautions should be adequate, just as you would follow any patient with pink eye, etc, clean your pupilometer, and hand tools and table surfaces with alcohol and a good antibacterial spray or wipes.
I am much more concerned with the threat of hepatitis. I had a series of 3 injections about 10 years ago that were supposed to reduce the risk of one form of hepatitis. I guess is is past time to take those or whatever is current again. (So thanks for reminding me by asking this question.)
Maybe someone else has more information?
jP
(Sorry; left out a verb!)
[This message has been edited by JennyP (edited 02-05-2001).]
Risk from Tears/contact lenses: Supposedly zero. Not too sure about the artificial eye patient I had last week with HIV and no one told me before I finished with the patient.
Please don't start a string here, about 10 years ago "Aids was all the rage." You could not go to an education seminar without having to listen to "Aids in your Practice" in 30% of your courses. These courses were usually from someone who knew nothing about contact lens fitting but found a way to get off for the week-end and go on the lecture circuit.
Chip
The only way you can contract HIV is if bodily fluids from the infected person are allowed to enter your body, usually via a cut of some sort.
To assume it can be contracted from measuring someone up for glasses, in this day and age, is staggeringly naive. You only need to wipe the tables down if the patient has bled all over them, in which case HIV would be the least of your problems.
Well put Maria! Of all the HIV positives that have been in my office I can honestly say,without any reservation whatsoever, not ONE of them has bled over anything!At the risk of starting a string no one wants, it is fair for some newer people, who might not have gone to those seminars, to ask questions.
Bestfrom the Cape
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Harry J
I think i would be more worried if one was to snezze or cough over you as you might catch a cold.or as seems to be the trend in america these day shoot you.....
or to quote the statistics you stand more chance of getting hit by a car than catching "HIV"
Guess we must be better informed this side of the pond :D
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Every day a grind
Every week a bind
www.iooi.co.uk
It's not really a case of attending seminars, people should know about things like HIV anyway. It's terrible that all these years after HIV became a public concern, people like Christine are still so ignorant about basic facts like transmission of the virus.Originally posted by hcjilson:
it is fair for some newer people, who might not have gone to those seminars, to ask questions.
You all should be warned, I do tend to get on my soapbox about stuff like this :)
(Do you have that 'soapbox' phrase over there?)
Christine,
The risk for being infected by AIDS or HIV in our environment is verrrrrry remote, albeit possible. I agree that the risk for being infected with other diseases is far greater, but if the safety precautions that I list later are followed, we would see less spread of these diseases as well. For that reason, there are published protocol for safeguarding against the spread of AIDS/HIV in the eyecare environment. It can be found in a couple of places, but to show it to you, I'll place it here: It can be located in the back of Tyler's quarterly.
The HIV virus has been isolated in bodily fluids, including tears, and has also been found in conjunctiva, corneas, and on contact lenses. The viral innoculum in tears, however, appear to be extremely low, and the CDC has not included tears on its list of body fluids that are classified as “potentially infectious.” As of this date, there are no documented cases of HIV transmission through human tears or contact lenses. Nevertheless, because of the potential risk of transmission, procedures to preclude the transmission of the AIDS virus as well as other pathogens in eye care offices should be implemented.
Washing
Hand washing with soap and water should be done after procedures involving contact with tears and in between patients.
Barrier
Latex
Disposable latex gloves may be worn, especially when cuts or open wounds are present on the hands. Small, non-visualized, open wounds may become apparent if isopropyl alcohol causes a burning sensation when wiped across the hand. Other protective measures such as masks, goggles, and gowns, are not indicated.
Vinyl- Not Good
Disinfection
Trial Contact Lenses
Contact lenses and carrying cases used in trial and follow-up fittings should be disinfected between each fitting by one of the following regimens:
Discarding the trial contact lenses:
With the advent of disposable two-week and one-day disposable contact lenses, the best mode of precaution is to throw away the trial lenses. This procedure, however is inapplicable to rigid gas permeable and nondisposable hydrogel trial contact lenses.
Hydrogen peroxide contact lens disinfecting solutions:
3.0% hydrogen peroxide contact lens disinfecting systems currently approved for soft contact lenses can be used to disinfect trial PMMA, rigid gas permeable and hydrogel contact lenses (though this procedure has not received FDA approval). Non-contact lens approved hydrogen peroxide preparations have not been tested experimentally and may contain preservatives that could discolor the lenses.
Heat Disinfection:
Heat disinfection regiments used for hydrogel lenses at 78 – 80o C for 10 minutes are effective for contact lens disinfection for some hydrogels (low water content lenses) and most PMMA lenses. RGP’s may warp with heat disinfection. Practitioners should check with contact lens manufacturers to determine which lenses can be safely heat-treated.
Until other disinfectants are shown to be suitable for inactivating HIV, contact lenses used in multiple patients are most safely handled by discarding the trial lenses or by hydrogen peroxide or heat disinfection.
Cleaning and disinfecting of equipment: Instruments that come into direct contact with external surfaces of the eye and other equipment such as phoropters, head rests, and occluders that can be contaminated by body secretions should be wiped clean or rinsed to remove particulate matter and then disinfected by a 5 – to 10 – minute exposure to:
A fresh solution of 3.0% hydrogen peroxide; or
A fresh solution containing 5000 parts per million (mg/L) free available chlorine; or
A 1/10 dilution of common household bleach (sodium hypochlorite); or
70.0% ethanol; or
70.0% isopropanol
The devices should then be dried before reuse. Countertop surfaces can be disinfected with solutions such as Amphyl. A study by Pepose JS et al. indicated that wiping the Goldman tonometer tip with an isopropyl alcohol swab and then allowing it to air dry is sufficient for inactivating the HIV virus.
BOTTOM LINE:::::
Clean frames and tools in between patients.
Wash, Wash, Wash....and DON'T reuse disposables.
Diane
Thanks Diane and JennyP,
You are very informative and professional and thanks to everyone else who has answered my questions. I was concerned about the contact lenses.
We have the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center here in Pittsburgh and there is good information on their web site about this subject. You can never know enough about this.
Christine
[This message has been edited by Christine (edited 02-06-2001).]
You can't use it on contact lenses but for everything else, Clorox kills all virus's, and other vermin very fast.
Chip
I remember a couple of years ago, that OSHA came out with a recommendation that gloves should be worn when handling patients contacts as there was the possibility, however remote of picking up the virus through a cut from the patients fluid.
With 63 million currently infected with HIV
it doesn't hurt to brush up and refresh the memory a little on precautions.
Christine
Honestly, Christine, I am more afraid of catching pink eye from my pts. The best advice I can give is be cautious with everyone for you own safety, but do not live in fear of it. The fear alone can scare you to death. I must agree with John in that your chance of getting hit by a car is greater. Casual contact with people in any job is about the same risk. Even cashiers touch their customers when they give change back to them. While it is possible I think it is so highly unlikely that it is not worth getting too overly concerned about. Keep your environment clean between pts and disinfected with chemicals such as the posts Diane and Chip discussed and keep hands washed always. If for no other reason but good hygeine and I think it will be just fine.
Have a great day!!!!
Steph
People should know alot of things and one that Maria doesn't know is courtesy and respect for other people. No question is a dumb question. I feel sorry for the new people who come to this board and have to be insulted by someone so "ignorant in the area of just answering a question without insulting people"
Pamela
I have courtesy and respect for a lot of people! It doesn't mean I can't have a negative opinion. Your question had elements of 'dumbness', which needed to be addressed. But, as a goodwill gesture, I shall not comment on the sloppy grammar of your final sentence, or the fact that you have changed your name.
Maria 'New people - fear me not! For I am mostly harmless.' K
Oh no here we go againOriginally posted by Christine:
I feel sorry for the new people who come to this board and have to be insulted by someone so "ignorant in the area of just answering a question without insulting people"
Pamela
Please let other people say their bit without you saying that they are insulting you. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and sadly the only time insults seem to fly is when you are around. I say this with no malice or personal refrence but please dont delete all your posts this time or newbies will wonder what its all about.
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Every day a grind
Every week a bind
www.iooi.co.uk
That is my name.
I don't care how I word a sentence here or how I impress someone with wit or who wins.
It is not important. I just want basic information. Everyone knows how HIV is transmitted, but everyone doesn't know everything, and not enough to get arrogant about it. Our eye Doctors have all the information but I thought I could collect more here. I did get some too, from some good people. Thanks Diane and Chip.
"Maria, your humor has alot to be desired by any real lady" but I really think you are one of the boys. That's ok with me.
I have friends who are medical doctors whom I take serious, who enjoy sharing the information with people without sarcasm. You seem very limited in what you know, but no one asked you anyway, or needs your two cents worth of jibber jabber. And just because you perceive something your way doesn't mean it is the right way to perceive something.
Everyone, make sure you don't misspell any words here or phrase something wrong. Maria is on the war path.
Christine [Pamela]
[This message has been edited by Christine (edited 02-07-2001).]
I forgot to mention, another thing AIDS HIV can't stand is heat. If I remember what my pathologist friend said: Can't last long in 125 degrees. Go back to heat sterilization on trial lenses, should be safe. Autoclaveing definitely safe. And don't forget good ole Clorox/Purex for other things. But never forget there are worse things and more dangerous bugs.
Chip
Thanks Chip, seems you know alot about this.
How long have you been an Optician?
Christine [Pamela]
I don't think the question Christine asked was dumb by any respect. In fact it was a pretty legitamate question. By the same respect I feel that we are all entitled to our opinion. Can't we all just get along? I for one, would like to stay as well educated on the prevention of the spread of all diseases including the common cold.
Have a great day!!
Steph
Thanks Stephanie,
You always have something good to add.
Well I am in a Doctors office with two eye
doctors. They of course know everything.
Our one Doctor was the president of the Optometric Association, but they are busy and don't have time to talk too much about things, so I come here to listen
and ask for new news.
I am sure I have been around this not knowing about it. Just having to be extra careful around this is stressful enough not to want to be around it very long.
Thanks again,
Christine [Pamela]
Hi again christine, Diane or Pamila
Well are you saying that its a dumb question as nobody else has said it :DOriginally posted by You:
. No question is a dumb question.
Pamela
I think its a fair subject but that an optician that has been to universty or med school to study to be an optician "hiv" and avoiding catching other aliments would be among the first taught.
No, John, that is not what I said.
I said no question is a dumb question...
That would be dumb to think no one else said it.......
And you could be taught every day at a university and never know everything that there is to know about something....
A person is in trouble when they think that they know everything......
Diane wrote the other message who isn't me.
Christine [Pamela]
This has really strayed off the original topic. Let's move on, ok?
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OptiBoard Administrator
Christine:
Since 1958.
Chip
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