jimtrue.com : school : CJT2260 : 2003-11-03: Bio Hazards
Posted by Jim True on November 13, 2003 6:04 AM. Last Updated October 22, 2006 9:23 PM
Disclaimer for all material noted here is at the bottom of this web page.
Agenda for Tonight - BioHazards
Not doing legal issues, will concentrate on Biohazards.
http://www.cdc.gov - This website is good supplemental material for what we go over this evening. Most of her notes are a condensed form of what is on the CDC website.
Quick note: Radio Shack has miniature microscopes from 60 - 100x battery powered for about $10 dollars. Good stocking stuffer for Science Geeks.
PPE's - Personal Protective Equipment
Very important when you go to a scene that has biological hazards associated with it. Protect yourself, the evidence and your folks at home.
Gloves - Latex and Nitrile. Before donning a pair of gloves, inspect them and make sure they don't have any holes or obvious tears. Make sure you're not wearing rings, especially the larger kinds as these can endanger the safety of the gloves.
If you have a heavily contaminated scene, double-glove. Prefer to wear latex and a pair of nitrile over them.
Latex will tend to heal when punctured. (Still there but not noticeable). Nitrile tend to tear or just fall apart when they are compromised. When the nitrile tears, you can still keep the latex on and keep your hands protected.
Eye Protection - Goggles and Eye/faceshields. Best kind of goggles are the kinds that go completely around your eyes and non-vented. If you want to wear a face shield for more protection, also wear goggles over them. Don't wear contacts if at all possible; makes it that much harder to rinse your eyes if your eyes should get contaminated.
Engineering Protocols - Fancy term for 'using other things in lieu of your hands for searching in hidden areas'. Take a stick, or long grabby things, or perhaps a long handled mirror to search behind areas that you can't see into. Keeps you from accidentally groping in a hidden area and snagging a syringe, broken glass, etc.
Also refers to items that you use at crime scenes that you ONLY use at crime scenes. Only to handle these particular items with gloves.
Decontamination - Set up a 'decontamination zone'; this is where you will keep all your decontamination supplies, bleach, biohazard bags, etc. The point is to keep from contaminating the rest of the crime scene, your person and your associates. Include trash in this area.
Biowaste container, including a container for 'Sharps', a red box marked with biohazard with a slit for collecting syringes, etc.
5 Gallon bucket with 10% bleach solution for cleaning equipment, shoes, etc. alternative would be 70% isopropyl alcohol. For killing germs, etc.
Along with this you will have some dedicated sponges and rags for wiping down surfaces, equipment, etc.
Clothing - Some agencies will take care of your laundry for you; some will not. Don't put your contaminated clothing in with your regular clothing or that of your family members; For washing, 135 degrees Farhenheit for at least 10 minutes.
Really should wear a disposable coveralls over your clothing. Can be disposed of easily.
Routes of Exposure:
Injection (innoculation) - #1 of contracting diseases at crime scenes [needle sticks], hollowbore needles are more dangerous than sticks etc, because they will hold material within the hollow-bore.
ingestion - Chewing on pens, chewing gum, etc at a scene. Less likely that you'll pick something up (mouth, throat). Be aware of habits like biting your nails, chewing pens, etc.
Inhalation - Tuberculosis is an airborne pathogen, often at ME's while sawing through skulls, carried in the bone dust. Make sure you wear a respirator. Other types are like dust masks. Large gas masks have cartridges for specific hazards (some are specific for anthrax, etc.)
Absorption - absorbed through the skin; a lot of materials have a high enough molecular weight that they can't be absorbed, but materials can make contact through the fingernails.
Universal Precautions - assume everything is infectious and you cover yourself up accordingly.
Use your nose to look for 'funny smelling items' before approaching to be aware of the dangers. Examples:
Sulfur Dioxide - smells like rotten eggs.
Cyanide - only about 40% of the population can smell Cyanide. Usually comes in two forms: KCN, Potassium Cyanide and NaCN, Sodium Cyanide. HCN, Hydrogen Cyanide gas. Smells like bitter almonds.
Gerhardt Shroeder - about the time of World War I or so; investigating insecticides to kill cockroaches. Dropped some of the compound on the floor and killed cockroaches quite quickly. Tested them on some prisoners and invented 'nerve agents'.
Particular Pathogens to be aware of
Hepatitis A - Type of pathogen encountered determines whether you have Acute or Chronic effects. Acute means all at once and very strongly, but will not last a very long time. Chronic means recurring, long-lasting and stay with you for months, years or perhaps the rest of your life.
Transmission: via Stools (very prevalent in third world or underdeveloped countries), fecal matter, etc. Sometimes in kitchens or restaurants. #1 preventative for HepA is handwashing and lots of it.
Incubation Range - 15-50 Days, avg. 30 Days. Time it will take for the virus to get into your blood and take effect. Will manifest as Acute condition ONLY; never manifest as a Chronic condition. 15% of the people who are afflicted with this will suffer 'relapsing' symptoms in 6-9 months.
Symptoms: #1 jaundice, yellowing of the skin and eyes. Affects your liver and bile is backing up in your blood. Loss of appetite, back pain, nausea, etc.
Another prevention is Vaccine or immunoglobin injection no later than 2 weeks after potential exposure. 80-90% effective.
Hepatitis B - high concentrations found in blood, and wound exudates (seeping from a wound, pus, etc.) Moderate in blood products like semen and saliva. Very low in fecal matter, urine, sweat and tears. 100X more concentrated in the blood than HIV.
Transmission - permocusal, percutaneous exposure (mucous membrances in nose, mouth or eyes or through a break in the skin).
Symptoms same as for HepA; also a vaccine for HepB. 1% bleach decontamination within 2 minutes. Chronic condition.
Hepatitis C
Transmission, injection primarily. Symptoms, flu-like symptoms, achy, tired and a slight fever. Some very very bad business, does not go away, chronic infection 80% develop chronic condition. Will lead eventually to cirhossis of the liver, and liver cancer. There is a treatment now for it; constant nausea, etc.
Incubation 2-26 weeks, avg 6-7 weeks.
Hepatitis D
Delta form of the Hepatitis virus. Transmission the same as the HBV, percutaneous most efficient. Symptoms also pretty much the same.
On it's own, it's not that much to worry about; however, if you have the B form of the Virus, and you contract HepD, the B Virus will be able to replicate and take over your body. D has no method to replicate itself; it must be paired with B to be able to replicate. No vaccine for D; if vaccinated with B, you will not be able to get D. "Dead & Buried"
HIV
You're already scared to death of HIV; a lot of people don't know that Hepatitis B is a lot more infectious.
HIV is very persistent. 15 days in ideal conditions; some scientists did some studies put the HIV virus in a petri dish with sea water at room temperature and was able to retain it's infectivity for 15 days.
Symptoms are flu-like and will usually manifest themselves 1-2 months post exposure. Typically, asymptomatic. Usually won't feel much of anything; just believe you will come down with a cold.
After the virus gets ahold of the system, will kill off T4 and helper cells in white blood cells and allow opportunistic infections to take hold. Only prevention is universal precautions; no vaccine.
TB - Tuberculosis
Inhalation primary mode of transmission
Can come from people infected with TB, coughing on you in their spit; in the morgue, can come from inhalation of bone dust.
Symptoms - Pain in chest, cough lasting 2 weeks or more, blood in spit.
Hepa Respirator will prevent exposure. Basic dustmask that fits well. INH given post exposure; unsure what that stands for.
Disclaimer: These are MY notes taken from classroom lectures while I'm in the classroom. While I'm perfectly happy to share my notes with my classmates and I know I take very good notes, you should still make every effort to attend the class and TAKE YOUR OWN NOTES. I will not transcribe everything the instructor says in the classroom, and I will NEVER post pre-exam reviews. My notes will not replace the value of actually attending class and taking your own class notes.I also cannot attest to their accuracy, other than they are what was provided in the lecture; you should not reference my notes as "expert opionion" by any means, and if you notice an error or omission, please do me the favor of e-mailing me with the correction and I will re-post my notes. End of Disclaimer.