Document 0534
 DOCN  M9590534
 TI    Respiratory care practitioners' attitudes toward patients with AIDS.
 DT    9509
 AU    Dubois JM; Beebie M; Bartter TC; Pratter MR; Division of Pulmonary and
       Critical Care Medicine, Cooper; Hospital/University Medical Center,
       Camden, NJ, USA.
 SO    Chest. 1994 Aug;106(2):427-30. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/95292659
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To assess attitudes of respiratory care practitioners about
       AIDS and patients with AIDS. DESIGN: A questionnaire that explored
       attitudes about AIDS was disseminated throughout southern New Jersey.
       Identity of individual responders was protected carefully. RESULTS: One
       hundred fifty-nine responses were received. The majority of responders
       favored identification of patients with AIDS, segregation of those
       patients into AIDS wards, and then avoidance of the AIDS wards. There
       was some bias against patients with known high-risk behaviors
       (especially drug abuse), but once a patient had AIDS the fear of getting
       AIDS was the only factor that correlated (p = 0.001) with the desire to
       avoid AIDS patients. Thirty-nine percent of responders said that they
       used universal precautions less than 90 percent of the time, and no
       factor (including fear of AIDS and markers of education) predicted which
       therapists did not consistently use them. CONCLUSIONS: The desire to
       avoid AIDS represents a rational desire not to become infected with the
       HIV virus. This study documents an identify-and-avoid philosophy in lieu
       of careful use of universal precautions. Educational efforts need to
       emphasize that the use of precautions represents the only truly
       effective means of preventing infection with the AIDS virus and other
       communicable diseases.
 DE    *Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome  Adult  *Attitude of Health
       Personnel  Data Collection  Female  Human  Male  New Jersey
       Questionnaires  *Respiratory Therapy  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).