Transmission of human papillomavirus DNA from patient to surgical masks, gloves and oral mucosa of medical personnel during treatment of laryngeal papillomas and genital warts

Abstract

The risk of occupational human papillomavirus (HPV) transmission from patient to medical personnel during laser vaporization procedures remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of HPV transmission from the patient to the protective surgical masks, gloves and oral mucosa of medical personnel during the treatment of laryngeal papillomas and genital warts. The study involved five male patients scheduled for the surgical treatment of laryngeal papillomas, and five male patients undergoing carbon dioxide (CO(2)) laser treatment for urethral warts. Oral mucosa specimens were obtained from the study patients and the employees pre- and postoperatively. Samples were collected from the HPV-infected patient tissue, and from the surgical masks and gloves used by the employees. A total of 120 samples were analyzed for the presence of HPV DNA by PCR, using the degenerated MY09/11/HMB01 primers. After the papilloma procedures, the surgeons' gloves tested HPV positive in one of the five cases and those of the surgical nurse in three of the five cases. After the treatment of genital warts, HPV DNA corresponding to the patient tissue specimens was present in all the samples obtained from the surgical gloves of the operators. All oral mucosa samples obtained from 18 different employees tested HPV negative, as did the surgical mask specimens. According to our study, HPV may contaminate protective equipment, most of all surgical gloves, but transmission of HPV DNA to medical personnel is unlikely to occur provided that protective surgical gloves and masks are applied and disposed of properly.

Low Prevalence of Oral and Nasal Human Papillomavirus in Employees Performing CO2-laser Evaporation of Genital Warts or Loop Electrode Excision Procedure of Cervical Dysplasia

“…In a recent study of medical personnel treating laryngeal papillomas and urethral warts using CO 2 laser it was found that after treatment of urethral warts, HPV DNA corresponding to patient tissue specimens was present in all samples obtained from the gloves of the surgeons (21). Oral mucosa samples from all 18 different employees tested HPV negative, as did the surgical mask specimens.…”

“…Only 13 (4.4%) employees had a mucosal HPV positive sample. In another study collected oral mucosa specimens from 18 health care professionals all tested HPV negative (21). The reported prevalence of HPV in oral rinse samples in the United States among men and women aged 14-69 years is 6.9% (13).…”

“…Two cases of laryngeal papillomatosis among operating personnel who used laser vaporisation to treat genital warts have been described (18,19). This has resulted in increased use of personal protective equipment and smoke evacuators in Denmark during the last decade; which may be sufficient to protect medical personnel from acquiring HPV infection (20,21).…”

Challenges in organizing effective oncology service: inter-European variability in the example of head and neck cancers

“…Researchers have identified the human papilloma virus (HPV) as the causative factor for a subset of HNSCC tumours [42–44], particularly HPV-16, which is especially common in otopharyngeal tumours. Fortunately, HPV-associated tumours have better clinical outcomes [43].…”

Performance of electrophysiology procedures at an academic medical center amidst the 2020 coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic

“…Before the case, the procedure attending, scrub nurse or technician should don the appropriate PPE after proper hand hygiene is performed as recommended by ID prevention and control. We have adopted using N95 for both intubated and non‐intubated COVID+ patients for two main reasons: (a) dislodgement of the endotracheal tube may occur during movement of the patient onto or off the operating table, or during emergency resuscitation and (b) previous studies on human papilloma virus suggest that laser or electrosurgery plume may cause infectious aerosol hazards resulting in viral transmission 9 . We don a surgical mask on top of the N95 mask as per NYPH recommendation to preserve the length of use of the N95.…”