Which of the following statements about urine, feces, and saliva is correct regarding bloodborne pathogens?

• A. Urine, feces, and saliva always carry bloodborne pathogens.
• B. Urine, feces, and saliva are considered high-risk fluids for bloodborne pathogen transmission regardless of blood contamination.
• C. Urine, feces, and saliva never carry any pathogens.
• D. Urine, feces, and saliva may carry bloodborne pathogens only if visibly contaminated with blood.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definition of bloodborne pathogens: these are infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans, such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
2. Recognize that not all body fluids carry bloodborne pathogens inherently; the risk depends on whether the fluid contains blood or is contaminated with blood.
3. Analyze the fluids in question—urine, feces, and saliva—and note that under normal circumstances, these fluids do not contain bloodborne pathogens unless they are visibly contaminated with blood.
4. Recall that high-risk fluids for bloodborne pathogen transmission include blood, certain body fluids visibly contaminated with blood, and other specific fluids like semen and vaginal secretions, but urine, feces, and saliva are not considered high-risk unless contaminated.
5. Conclude that the correct statement is that urine, feces, and saliva may carry bloodborne pathogens only if they are visibly contaminated with blood, emphasizing the importance of visible blood contamination as a risk factor.