hospital-acquired penetration contact

hospital-acquired penetration contact

A break of skin or mucosal barriers by needle sticks, paper cuts, broken glass, resulting in contact infection by highly infectious, blood-transmitted, usually viral infections–eg, HIV-1, hepatitis B, or Jakob-Creutzfeldt agent; the frequency of HIV infection via this route is low, generally regarded as << 1/100 infected penetrations. See Sharps.