Abbreviations and acronyms
AHPPC Australian Health Protection Principal Committee
ARTG Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods
ASHM Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine
BBV Blood-borne virus
BBVSS Blood Borne Virus and Sexually Transmissible Infections Standing Subcommittee
CDNA Communicable Diseases Network of Australia
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid
EMR Electronic medical record
ERG Expert Reference Group
EPP Exposure prone procedure
HBV Hepatitis B Virus
HCV Hepatitis C Virus
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
IEC Institutional Ethics Committee
IVD In-Vitro Diagnostic Device
MBS Medicare Benefits Schedule
MSAC Medical Services Advisory Committee
MSM Men who have sex with men
NAT Nucleic acid test
NATA National Association of Testing Authorities
NHMRC National Health and Medical Research Council
NPAAC National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council
NRL National Serology Reference Laboratory, Australia
PEP Post-exposure prophylaxis
PrEP Pre-exposure prophylaxis
PWID People who inject drugs
RANZCOG Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
RCPA Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia
RNA Ribonucleic acid
SoNG Series of National Guidelines
STI Sexually Transmissible Infection
TGA Therapeutic Goods Administration
Compulsory Testing
Where a person has no choice in being tested, e.g. as directed under a Public Health Order.
Exposure Prone Procedure
Defined by the Communicable Diseases Network Australia’s national guidelines as a subset of ‘invasive procedures’ characterised by the potential for direct contact between the skin (usually finger or thumb) of the healthcare worker and sharp surgical instruments, needles or sharp tissues (spicules of bone or teeth) in body cavities or in poorly visualised or confined body sites (including the mouth). In the broader sense, an exposure-prone procedure is considered to be any situation where there is a potentially high risk of transmission of blood borne disease from healthcare worker to patient during medical or dental procedures.
Mandatory testing
Refers to situations where people may neither participate in certain activities nor access certain services unless they agree to be tested. Examples of circumstances in which mandatory testing is appropriate include before blood, tissue and organ donation, and for immigration purposes.
Occupational exposure
An exposure that may place an employee at risk of HIV, HBV or HCV infection through percutaneous injury (e.g. a needlestick or cut with a sharp object, contact of mucous membranes, or contact of skin with blood, tissues or other potentially infectious body fluids to which Universal Precautions apply).