#16 in a series

Practicing proper infection control procedures is the responsibility of every student, staff and faculty member with clinical responsibilities. With the fast-paced nature of the clinical environment, it is sometimes easy to overlook basic infection control policies. To help raise awareness about these issues, we've created this series of infection control reminders and pointers. For questions about infection control policies or more information, contact the School of Dentistry's Director of Health and Safety, Dr. Molly Newlon at: newlonm@dentistry.ucsf.edu.

HIV:

• Is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).
  
  
• Transmission risk in dental settings is considered extremely low. The risk of infection after exposure to a Bloodborne virus, including HIV, is influenced by inoculum size, route of exposure, and susceptibility of the exposed person.
  
  
  
  
• Infection may be prevented with postexposure management prophylaxis, but medication must be started very quickly after exposure. Administered within 2 hours of exposure, some drugs can significantly reduce the risk of disease transmission.
  
  
• Has NO vaccine at this time.
  
  

Best regards,

Charles N. Bertolami, DDS, DMedSc

Dean