The AIDS problem in accident surgery

In trauma surgery there is a particularly high proportion of patients in the age group most at risk of infection with AIDS. The result of an epidemiological study in our patients (HIV screening of all patients scheduled for surgery at a trauma center over 18 months) showed a prevalence of 0.1%. Specific therapeutic strategies must be developed to deal with the weakened immunity of HIV-infected patients. Fracture treatment in HIV-infected hemophiliacs is a special problem. Homogenous bone transplantation is described with reference to HIV. The particular danger of injury in trauma surgery is also investigated. The chain of infection is illustrated and used to demonstrate the precautions that can be taken against nosocomial HIV infections. Following infection with fluids containing HIV, specific measures must be taken. The legal aspects of HIV-antibody testing in the Federal Republic of Germany are elucidated. Finally, the problems of general preoperative HIV-antibody testing are discussed.