Infectious diseases are transmitted in many different ways. Medical and surgical asepsis and various techniques and procedures for sanitizing, disinfecting, and sterilizing instruments, equipment, and surfaces all help prevent disease transmission. Specific transmission methods dictate which approaches work best for which diseases. The focus of this chapter has been blood-borne transmission.

The transmission of blood-borne pathogens is a particular concern for medical assistants as well as for people in many other professions. The pathogens that pose the greatest risk are HIV, HBV, and HCV. Infection with these pathogens can result in death or chronic disease.

Your role as a medical assistant is to help prevent the spread of such infectious diseases. The preventive measures you will take at work include following Universal Precautions, watching patients for signs of infectious diseases, and educating patients about the risk factors associated with blood-borne diseases.

Information about infectious diseases changes constantly. You can best serve your patients and your employer if you keep up-to-date on research, advances in treatment, and general information. Your efforts with patient education may include information about preventive measures, drug trials, follow-up care, and hospices for terminally ill patients.