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Hello All,
Last week Dr Jacqui Richmond presented on BBV in aged care. The recording and PP can be located here: https://www.acipc.org.au/acipc-aged-ipc-webinar-series/ There were a few questions that were unable to be answered due to time. Jacqui will kindly provide the answers below in the thread – feel free to add further questions and keep the chat live.
-What is the Needle strick hotline for NSW?
-Is Hep B curable?
-Our Aged care residents are often not considered to fit in this high risk category, but as we are living longer they are still a risk. I wonder if doctors get this education. it would be good for them to access this resource.
-What are the symptoms of Hep B and hep C that can lead for testing?
-When a client has completed treatment for Hep C what is the follow up treatment, if any?Note: there are many resources on the ACIPC aged care space – templates, further presentation, links etc https://www.acipc.org.au/aged-care/
Hi Carrie and All, thank you for these questions. I have posted my answers below:
1. What is the Needle stick hotline for NSW?
I’m aware of this service which tends to be for the general public:
https://www.shil.nsw.gov.au/resources/blood-and-body-fluid-exposure-phoneline
In terms of occupational exposure, there should be a policy for your facility that advises how the incident should be managed. The policy may advise you to seek medical attention at the local emergency department or at your own GP. Each Australian jurisdiction also has an occupational exposure policy, which advises on first aid after the incident through to the recommended testing. I suggest you look up your relevant local policy.2.Is Hep B curable?
At the moment, hepatitis B is not curable but it is manageable with antiviral medications. If the patient’s immune system is stimulated and the virus is a particular level, antiviral treatment can be prescribed; the purpose of the medication is to stop viral replication and therefore, reduce the damage being done to the liver.3. Our Aged care residents are often not considered to fit in this high risk category, but as we are living longer they are still a risk. I wonder if doctors get this education. it would be good for them to access this resource.
There are many of us providing education to health professionals including doctors. ASHM (www.ashm.org.au) is one organisation along with lots of IPC consultants and hepatitis educators. It’s also good to know that medical and nursing students are taught a bit about BBVs in their training. But I always ask, if you see/hear incorrect or out of date information, please gently provide the correct information! Every moment is a teaching moment.4. What are the symptoms of Hep B and hep C that can lead for testing?
This is a great question! There are rarely symptoms of hepatitis B or C infection which is why we focus on risk factors to guide testing. Over time people can develop fatigue and brain fog, but as these are very vague symptoms, they don’t often lead to testing. Sometimes people with hepatitis B or C have abnormal liver functions tests, so they can prompt testing.5. When a client has completed treatment for Hep C what is the follow up treatment, if any?
It’s advised people have a blood test 4 weeks after they finish hepatitis C treatment to check if there’s any virus detected. If the result is negative, the person is cured and doesn’t require any further care – this happens in 95-98% of cases. If the person was living with cirrhosis or severe liver damage before treatment, they may require ongoing check ups to monitor their liver health – but curing their hep C is a great way to improve the health of their liver.Thanks for the great questions and your interest in learning about BBVs!
Jacqui
