Acquired immune deficiency syndrome: recommendations of a working party of the Hospital Infection Society.

Unified procedures to control those infections that are transmitted by inoculation of blood are recommended. These should be applied to patients with overt acquired immune deficiency syndrome, persistent generalized lymphadenopathy or hepatitis B, those with serological evidence of infection by HTLV III or hepatitis B virus, and those in medical and social categories with a higher than average prevalence of such infections. Rational infection control measures, based on the known modes of spread, permit efficient management of infected patients, with satisfactory protection of staff and other patients.