Guidelines Regarding HIV and Other Bloodborne Pathogens in Vascular/Interventional Radiology

CONCERN about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other bloodborne pathogens is rising throughout society as infection becomes more prevalent. Many members of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) have expressed the need for an official statement from the Society that addresses practice issues unique to interventional radiology. As a result, the SIR Subcommittee on HIV and Bloodborne Pathogens was formed to review current knowledge about risk of bloodborne pathogen transmission during interventional radiology procedures, to summarize exposure control regulations and recommendations as they pertain to the practice of interventional radiology and review ways that risk can be reduced, and to formulate a policy for the Society to assist its members in dealing with this complicated subject. LEVEL OF RISK IN INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY