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Preventing blood borne virus transmission
Safe Caring Information for Looked After Children
Any child may be at a small risk of getting Hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) or HIV by being born to a mother who has the blood borne virus.The virus can be transmitted as a result of intravenous drug use (blood to blood contact or sharing needles) or through unprotected sexual practice, occupational injuries, non-sterile body piercing or tattoos.
Newborn children with an identified risk of Hepatitis B will be immunised against Hepatitis B from birth.
Because of the risk of stigmatisation, any child with suspected or confirmed HBV, HCV or HIV should be treated no differently to a child without that risk. Foster carers need to apply safe caring to all the children who they care for.
The possibility of getting HBV, HCV or HIV from a child is minimal. Good hygiene measures should be adhered to at all times.Good hygiene practice should include:
- No sharing of personal items - tooth brushes, razors or tweezers
- Clean up any blood spillages with hot soapy water then wipe surfaces with household beach - then throw cloth away.
- Cover cuts with a waterproof plaster until healed
- Wear gloves for nappy changing - (if blood is noticed in the stools or urine)
- Wear gloves for cleaning up vomit (if blood is noticed in it).
- If you have eczema or psoriasis on your hands and you have areas of broken skin, you are advised to wear gloves when changing nappies/cleaning up vomit even if there is no blood noticed - this is to prevent infection from other germs.
- Safe and careful disposal of used sanitary protection.
- It is recommended that any linen contaminated with blood should be washed at 90 degrees centigrade.
- Note - Urine, faeces, saliva (spit), sputum (phlegm), tears, sweat and vomit do not carry a risk of HIV HBV or HCV infection unless they are contaminated with blood.It is not possible to catch HBV, HCV or HIV from normal social contact including kissing, coughing, sneezing, holding hands, sharing bathrooms, toilets, swimming pools, food, cups cutlery and crockery etc.
There is no immunisation available for Hepatitis C or HIV.
Immunisation for Hepatitis B All short term foster carers who receive emergency placements and their families need to be offered immunisation against Hepatitis B.
Permanent foster carers (and their families) who accept a child known to be of high risk of Hepatitis B should be offered immunisation. (Immunisation Against Infection Diseases, DOH 2006)A child who is suspected or confirmed as having HBV, HCV or HIV must have their right to confidentiality maintained. However, to ensure the child or young person with HBV, HCV or HIV can be supported, it is necessary to share the diagnosis with their carer.
What are Hepatitis B, C and HIV and how are they transmitted?
What is HIV?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system making it vulnerable to infections that a healthy immune system would fight off.
Transmission of HIV
The vast majority of children who have HIV will have acquired the virus from their mothers either in the womb, at delivery or through breast feeding.
Children and young people may also acquire HIV through:
- unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person. This may have been through sexual abuse.
- sharing contaminated needles, syringes or other equipment during intravenous drug use, or from a needle stick injury.
What is HBV?
Hepatitis B Virus HBV is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver, which can result in liver cell damage that may lead to scaring of the liver (cirrhosis) and increased risk of liver cancer in some people.
The risk of liver cancer is much higher in children who were infected at birth.
Hepatitis B is highly infectious and much more easily transmitted than HIV by blood bore routes - HBV is preventable by immunisation.
Transmission of HBV:
- From mother to child at delivery
- Through unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person, including sexual abuse.
- From sharing contaminated needles, syringes or other equipment during intravenous drug use, or from a needle stick injury.
- Through a blood transfusion given in a country where blood transfusions are not screened for hepatitis.
- By invasive medical/dental treatment abroad using non-sterile instruments/needles.
Other less common routes by which the infection may be spread are:
- From non-sterile equipment used for tattooing and cosmetic piercing.
- By sharing razors and toothbrushes (which may be contaminated with blood) with an infected person.
What is HCV?
Hepatitis C Virus HCV is a virus that causes inflammation to the liver. 20% to 40% of people with the HCV infection will clear the virus. The majority of people infected will only get mild liver damage. However, in 5% to 20% of people HCV progresses over 20 to 30 years to cause serious liver damage.
Transmission of HCV:
- From sharing contaminated needles, syringes or other equipment during intravenous drug use, or from needle stick injury.
- Through blood transfusion given in a country where blood transfusions are not screened for Hepatitis.
Other less common routes by which the infection may be spread are:
- From non-sterile equipment used for tattooing and cosmetic piercing.
- By sharing razors and toothbrushes (which may be contaminated with blood) with an infected person.
- From an infected mother to her baby at birth (this risk is increased if the mother is also infected with HIV). Currently there is no proven association between breastfeeding and HCV transmission.
- By unprotected sexual intercourse.
- By invasive medical/dental treatment abroad using non-sterile instruments/needles.