Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 105 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH › Title 105 CMR 172.000 - Reporting of Unprotected Exposures to Infectious Diseases Dangerous to the Public Health › Section 172.001 - Definitions

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
Care Provider
shall mean any person
				including, without limitation, an emergency medical technician (EMT), an EMS
				first responder (EFR), both as defined in
				105 CMR 170.020:
Definitions
, a first responder, as defined in
				105 CMR 171.050:
Definitions
or corrections officer, who, while acting in his
				or her professional capacity, attends, assists or transports a person to a
				health care facility.
Designated Infection Control Officer
shall mean the officer appointed by each ambulance service, EMS first response
				(EFR) service, as defined in
				105 CMR 170.020:
Definitions
, and first responder agency, as defined in
				105 CMR 171.050:
Definitions
, for the purposes of, but need not be limited to,
				(1) receiving notifications of exposures to infectious diseases dangerous to
				the public health from health care facilities and (2) notifying the indicated
				care provider(s) of an exposure to an infectious disease dangerous to the
				public health.
Diagnosis
for the purposes of
				105 CMR 172.000 shall mean
				a determination by a physician that a person is currently suffering from an
				infectious disease dangerous to the public health and is capable of
				transmitting said infectious disease or demonstrates laboratory evidence of
				exposure to such a disease.
Health Care Facility
shall mean any
				hospital, clinic or institution that is licensed by the Department under M.G.L.
				c. 111, § 51.
Infectious Disease Dangerous to the Public
				Health
for the purpose of
				105 CMR 172.000 shall
				mean:
(1) Airborne Diseases
(a) Infectious tuberculosis (Mycobacterium ! pulmonary,
				laryngeal and others)
(b) Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Chickenpox
(2) Bloodborne Diseases
(a) Hepatitis B
(b) Human immunodeficiency virus infection (including acquired
				immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS))
(c) Hepatitis C
(d) Hepatitis D
(3) Uncommon, Rare or Pandemic Diseases
(a) Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the virus
				SARS-CoV-2
(b) Diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheria)
(c) Meningococcal disease (Neisseria meningitidis)
(d) Plague (Yersinia pestis)
(e) Hemorrhagic fevers (Lassa, Marburg, Ebola, Crimean-Congo,
				and other viruses yet to be identified)
(f) Rabies
(g) Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) (including
				infection with a SARS-associated coronavirus)
(h) Smallpox, monkeypox and infection with any other orthopox
				virus in humans (including vaccinia)
Patient
shall mean any individual
				attended to or assisted by a care provider and who is transported to any health
				care facility.
Transporting Care Provider
shall mean
				the care provider who transports the patient to a health care facility.
Unprotected Exposure
shall mean an
				exposure capable of transmitting a bloodborne infectious disease dangerous to
				the public health as defined in 105 CMR 172.001 and is limited to the
				following:
(1) Puncture wounds - including punctures resulting
				from:
(a) used needles;
(b) glass and other sharp objects contaminated with blood;
				or
(c) human bites;
(2) Blood to blood contact through open wounds, which includes:
				open cuts, sores, rashes, abrasions or conditions that interrupt skin
				integrity; and
(3) Mucous membrane contact - including such contact as would
				occur with mouth to mouth resuscitation or eye splashing with infected fluids.
				Such fluids would include: blood, sputum, oral and nasal secretions.
Unprotected Exposure Form
shall mean a
				standardized form, developed and distributed by the Department of Public
				Health, which shall contain, but need not be limited to, the following:
(1) identifying information about the patient, including
				his/her name, address and incident location;
(2) identifying information about the ambulance and EFR
				service(s) and first responder agency(ies) that responded to the call;
(3) identifying information about the care provider who may
				have sustained an unprotected exposure including his/her name, address, and the
				specific nature of his/her potential exposure; and
(4) name of the designated infection control officer for the
				service completing the report.