IAEM welcomes launch of guidelines for management of patients exposed to blood or bodily fluids

IAEM welcomes new guidelines for the management of patients with injuries resulting in exposure to blood or bodily fluids

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine welcomes the recently issued guidelines for the emergency management of injuries that may result in exposure to blood or body fluids. These injuries pose a risk of transmission of blood borne viruses such as hepatitis or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). They cause considerable anxiety and may adversely affect a person’s work and personal life, even if ultimately no infection results.The guidelines are relevant to injuries occurring to members of the public in a community setting and to occupationally-sustained injuries (such as to healthcare workers, prison officers or members of An Garda Siochána).

The guidelines (Emergency Management of Injuries – EMI) are published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (http://www.hpsc.ie) and have been presented as a user friendly online toolkit (www.emitoolkit.ie) which will allow them to be both easily accessed and be practically useful in the emergency situation.

There has been significant input from IAEM in drafting the guidelines with two Consultants in Emergency Medicine on the Guidelines’ Working Group.

The guidelines will be officially launched at a special conference on Friday 19th April 2013 in the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin.

IAEM is pleased to endorse these guidelines and to promote their use in Emergency Departments across Ireland. A hard copy of the document has been circulated to all Emergency Departments and the Association has placed a link to the document on its website and circulated a copy to all its members.