mason@pneuma.DEC (ANDREA 223-4864 PK03-2/H31 POLE 15F) (10/24/85)
Reprinted from the Boston Globe (Thursday, 10/17/85) "STUDY SAYS SURGEON WITH AIDS INFECTED NO ONE" Associated Press A Florida surgeon with acquired immune deficiency syndrome operated on hundreds of patients without passing on the disease, supporting the belief that AIDS-infected health workers can safely treat patients, a study says. The doctor, who was not identified, died of AIDS two years ago and researchers attempted to contact all of the patients he treated between 1978 and 1983. As of August, no AIDS cases had been reported among those patients. "This study of 400 persons found no evidence that transmission of AIDS to patients had occurred and nothing to suggest that the surgeon should not have been practicing," wrote Dr Jeffrey J. Sacks of Florida's Health and Rehabilitative Services Dept. and the US Centers for Disease Control. For 347 of the 400 patients, three years had elapsed since their surgery. For the rest, at least two years had passed. Sacks' report, published as a letter in today's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, said that theoretically the disease could be transmitted if an infected health care worker accidently bled into a patient's open wound. Sacks noted that more than 200 health care workers have been reported to have AIDS, nearly all of them having acquired the disease because they are members of groups at high risk.
hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (10/26/85)
In article <1026@decwrl.UUCP> mason@pneuma.DEC (ANDREA 223-4864 PK03-2/H31 POLE 15F) writes: >Reprinted from the Boston Globe (Thursday, 10/17/85) > >"STUDY SAYS SURGEON WITH AIDS INFECTED NO ONE" >Associated Press > >A Florida surgeon with acquired immune deficiency syndrome operated on >hundreds of patients without passing on the disease, supporting the >belief that AIDS-infected health workers can safely treat patients, a >study says. Consider how a surgeon prepares for surgery. Thorough scrub with disinfectant soap, sterile cap, gown, mask, gloves. How many "health workers" go through such a procedure prior to seeing each patient? How many occupations come under the heading "health worker"? >Sacks' report, published as a letter in today's edition of the New >England Journal of Medicine, said that theoretically the disease could >be transmitted if an infected health care worker accidently bled into >a patient's open wound. Probably true. I think we can reasonably assume the surgeon didn't bleed into any of his patients. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp(+)TTI Common Sense is what tells you that a ten 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. pound weight falls ten times as fast as a Santa Monica, CA 90405 one pound weight. (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe
hankb@teklds.UUCP (Hank Buurman) (11/02/85)
In article <775@ttidcc.UUCP> hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) writes: > >Probably true. I think we can reasonably assume the surgeon didn't bleed >into any of his patients. > That's an unwarranted assumption. Surgeons can, and often do, knick their fingers (through the gloves) while performing surgery.