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M. Tuberculosis
Medical transportation, such as that provided in
a Mobility Assistance Vehicle, may expose the
MAVO to Tuberculosis bacteria. A patient in
the MAV who is coughing agressively or
sneezing may aerosolize some bacteria in his
or her respiratory moisture. Repeated exposure
to this type of moisture could create M.
Tuberculosis infection in the MAVO – especially
after multiple long transports.
Although Tuberculosis infection is possible, it
generally requires prolonged exposure of the
course of multiple days in a confined
environment to create an infection. The
incident of Tuberculosis transmission in the
medical transportation industry is very small.
Some good-sense precautions will minimize the
chance of Tuberculosis transmission:
-
Be suspicious of patients with productive
coughs
-
If weather permits, keep windows
somewhat open to ventilate the interior of
the vehicle during the transport of a
suspected Tuberculosis patient
-
Wear an N95 or HEPA respirator when
transporting a suspected TB patient
Medical Respirator
Psychological Harm
Providing medical transportation can be a
rewarding career. Many MAVO’s enjoy
assisting individuals who need assistance help
getting medical appointments and other
procedures. Some MAVO’s however, may
struggle with the psychological impact of
dealing with many chronically ill or injured
persons. Some cases, such as the death of a
long-term patient or transporting a sickly child
may be particularly difficult for an MAVO.
An MAVO experiencing mental stress may
exhibit some of these symptoms:
-
Trouble performing routine activities such
as eating, sleeping, and engaging in
recreation activities
-
Loss of interest in work, friends, or family
-
Use of alcohol and/or drugs
MAVO’s experiencing these symptoms should
speak to their managers about their difficulties.
Some strategies for managing stress include:
-
Taking some time off
-
being temporarily assigned to an
alternate duty
-
Discussing the stress with peers
The manager may be able to offer helpful
advice or professional help.
Bloodborne Pathogens
In 1991, the Occupational Safety & Health
Administration (OSHA) created and adopted 29
CFR 1910.1030, the Bloodborne Pathogens
standard. This piece of worker protection law
required that employers whose employees may
come into contact with blood or some Other
Potential Infectious Material (OPIM) set up
some systems to protect their employees from
infection.
While the industries most affected by the
standard are healthcare and public safety, an
MAVO is also affected by the standard since
they may have to render first aid or CPR to a
patient who has an emergency during the
transport. As a result, the MAVO’s employer
must set up some systems to protect his
operators from harm.
The major illnesses that require discussion in a
bloodborne pathogens program include