TY - JOUR
AU - Beischer, Norman A.
AB -  Norman A. Beischer Mercy Maternity Hospital. Melbourne With almost daily bombardment from the media regarding acquired-immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), how long will it be before gynaecological instruments are judged to be a vector in the transmission of the disease? The only evidence that AIDS can be transmitted by inanimate objects within the health care system are 3 cases of seroconversion in health care workers after accidental needle-stick injuries with needles used on patients infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV, formerly known as HTLV111) - none of these 3 patients have yet progressed to the fatal clinical syndrome of AIDS as a result of this HIV infection; however, on latest predictions it is likely to be only a matter of time before such patients become symptomatic. Probably needle-stick injuries only result in HIV infection when there is a significant injury with actual injection of blood. The HIV virus has been identified in vaginal secretions in 5 of 9 infected women studied in San Francisco. The potential is therefore present for transmission of this infection by speculum examination, especially as the pool of infected heterosexual women is rapidly increasing. The virus is stable for short periods of time at 
TI - How Clean are Your Instruments?
JF - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
DO - 10.1111/j.1479-828X.1987.tb00993.x
DA - 1987-08-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/wiley/how-clean-are-your-instruments-Pab7DsuxuK
SP - 226
VL - 27
IS - 3
DP - DeepDyve
ER -