Assessing the risk of occupational acquisition of the human immunodeficiency virus: implications for hospital policy.

In determining infection control policy, it is essential to quantitatively assess the risk of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to health care workers and their families. The risk should be placed in perspective by comparing it with other occupational hazards. The risk of seroconversion from a needlestick injury can be calculated from the probability of a needlestick occurrence, the probability that the source patient is infected, and the probability of seroconversion, given an exposure. The risk of seroconversion due to drawing 1000 blood specimens from seropositive patients is between 86 and 470 in 100,000. The risk to surgeons from performing 25 operations on infected patients is approximately 272 in 100,000. The risk of fatal injury in the course of one year's work on a Louisiana oil rig is between 188 and 283 per 100,000.