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The Expert Panel on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection of Health Care Workers convened a second meeting today (March 26) to further assess a referred case of HIV infection of a public hospital health care worker since its first meeting on this particular case in January this year.
Today's meeting was joined by Director of the Albion Street Centre and Regional Collaborating Centre of HIV/AIDS of the World Health Organisation, Professor Julian Gold, and President of the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong, Dr Luk Hung-to, in attendance with the representatives from the Hospital Authority.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, the Chairman of the Expert Panel, Professor Lam Tai-hing, said that with the support of more information of the case as well as local and overseas experts opinion, the Panel has thoroughly examined the degrees of exposures of patients previously under the care of the health care worker and made recommendations on the need of patient lookback.
"After due consideration of the case, the Panel is of the view that the risk of HIV transmission from health care workers to patients is low. Nonetheless, taking precautionary principle in balance with scientific evidence and specifics of the case, the Panel has recommended precautionary lookback for 140 priority patients previously under the care of the health care worker in the past two years," the Chairman remarked.
"During the meeting, the Panel made careful examination and deliberation of the updated available information of the case, the scientific studies on provider-to-patient HIV transmission, overseas experience on patient lookback investigations, as well as exposure risk assessment of surgical procedures and infection control measures in relation to the case," he elaborated.
He said that the Panel, on the other hand, also considered the specifics of this case as compared with previous referrals, and the appropriateness to give due emphasis to precautionary principle in balance with scientific evidence.
"In conclusion, the Panel recommended precautionary lookback for 140 priority patients previously under the care of the health care worker in the past two years," he said.
As regards subsequent management of the patients, Professor Lam said that the Panel considered that one-off HIV testing of such patients is adequate to clarify infection status.
"It is agreed in the meeting that the patients will be notified by the Hospital Authority, following which testing with appropriate counseling will be arranged. The situation will be closely reviewed and the Panel will consider further actions as appropriate," said Professor Lam, adding that these recommendations had been conveyed to the referring doctor of the case and the Hospital Authority.
He stressed that for effective HIV prevention and control, the Panel reckoned the importance of upholding confidentiality of HIV infected patients, including infected health care workers.
"The Panel would also like to reiterate the importance of continuing adherence to standard infection control measures to minimise transmission of blood-borne pathogens, including HIV, in health care settings," he added.
Ends/Monday, March 26, 2012
Issued at HKT 22:00
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