Testing healthcare staff for infection with HIV and hepatitis: logistic and ethical considerations

摘要

The screening of healthcare workers for blood borne viruses has been hotly debated and, at present, the risk to patients appears to stem mainly from those surgeons identified as carrying hepatitis e antigen and therefore mandatory blanket screening of healthcare workers for HCV and HIV appears unfounded. However, it is the clear moral obligation of all healthcare workers to protect the health of their patients. If the profession fails, either singly or collectively, to honour this contract it can be envisaged that central government or individual Trusts will set the future agenda and thus impose their own level of testing.