Why is Hep C. not considered to be a barrier isolation situation?

mysticalwaters1 · Jul 16, 2005

It is my understanding that MRSA (and VRE I think) will often not even make a healthy person sick, but Hepatitis C is a serious threat to even a healthy individual with no effective vaccine available (and is easier to transmit than HIV). Yet "the wife" was discussing how she had a Hep C client today with open wounds, IV's and drains, but that wasn't an isolation client, and yet she had one with MRSA who was in isolation. What is the criteria and who makes the determination?

I don't know who decides what but Mrsa and vre are easily spread from physical contact to other pts. And if MRSA in the sputum through contact droplet and Hep c is only blood to blood. Alot of times the pt's who get MRSA and VRE are immunocompromised and often health care workers as an ex may be carriers of it and it is passed easily to these pts. Also heavy abx use can trigger aquiring these infections which seems to be spreading.

You treat each pt with universal precautions. So unless that pt with hep c and open wound unless that pt's blood got inside you through a wound/open area you had you should not get hep c. Same with HIV. But MRSA, and I've heard VRE are very contagious that's why it's isolation.

mysticalwaters1 · Jul 16, 2005

It is my understanding that MRSA (and VRE I think) will often not even make a healthy person sick, but Hepatitis C is a serious threat to even a healthy individual with no effective vaccine available (and is easier to transmit than HIV). Yet "the wife" was discussing how she had a Hep C client today with open wounds, IV's and drains, but that wasn't an isolation client, and yet she had one with MRSA who was in isolation. What is the criteria and who makes the determination?

Our infection control department sets policies for iso pts. They must do it according to laws and findings i would think. I deal with MRSA in the sputum and those include contact droplet precations requiring a gown, mask, gloves to not breath in the droplets or get it on your clothes. MRSA in blood/wounds just contact: gown and gloves. I deal with VRE in the urine a lot and that's also just contact. Cdiff in stool is contact. tI also deal with r/o TB pt's which require a vaccum room to not have it pass out of the room b/c it's very contagious by air. That one requires a special filtration mask, and gloves. I wear a gown for that too but for some reason i don't know the policy says we don't have to wear a gown but we have to wear gloves. Doesn't make sense.

You allways were gloves with open areas just these infections requiring all this iso equipment is due to finding/research that it is easily spread to other pts/people. While Hep c is a problem it is not easily aquired if you are following universal precautions as you are suppose too allways.

fergus51 · Jul 16, 2005

The spread of Hep C is prevented with standard measures. As long as the nurse isn't sharing needles, having sex with or rolling around in the patients' bloody wounds with open wounds herself it isn't a problem. Basically we only need to treat Hep C patients like we do everybody else.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 16, 2005

Hep C follows the same protection that you would use taking care fo a patient with HIV, no different. Isolation techniques are used based on how the disease can be spread. With using universal precautions, Hep C, as well as the others are covered.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2005

The spread of Hep C is prevented with standard measures. As long as the nurse isn't sharing needles, having sex with or rolling around in the patients' bloody wounds with open wounds herself it isn't a problem. Basically we only need to treat Hep C patients like we do everybody else.

Exactly!!!!

sbic56, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2005

The spread of Hep C is prevented with standard measures. As long as the nurse isn't sharing needles, having sex with or rolling around in the patients' bloody wounds with open wounds herself it isn't a problem. Basically we only need to treat Hep C patients like we do everybody else.

I love your no BS, common sense approach to things. :) Great post.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2005

Roland, you might a little confused. Hep C is blood to blood transmission only, and not easier to transmit than HIV (which also includes body fluids such as semen).

As was stated above. Universal precautions will cover Hep C.

talaxandra · Jul 16, 2005

Perhaps the confusion arose because hep C is more virulent than HIV. In other words, you're less likely to seroconvert with a needlestick from an HIV-positive patient than you are from a hep C-positive patient, all other things being equal. That doesn't make it more contagious or transmissible, though - as other posters have said, provided you avoid blood-to-blood contact (eg use gloves when handling/interacting with open wounds) it's no problem :)

ckh23, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2005

I agree. Isolation is used to prevent the spread of VRE and MRSA. If universal precautions are taken then you wife is at no risk for Hep C.

kadokin, ASN, RN · Dec 20, 2005

I'm sure it has already been covered in this thread, but hepc is blood-borne and universal precautions will prevent the spread. MRSA, however, can be spread through droplets if it is in the respiratory tract.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2005

And, contrary to popular beliefs, the hepatitis C virus is harder to contract than the hep A and hep B virus. Universal precautions will adequately protect healthcare workers from contacting it.