Where should Hepatitis C patients be dialyzed and why?

• A. In isolation to prevent transmission to others
• B. In the general ward with all other infectious patients
• C. In the clinical area, Hep C is not contagious and does not survive long outside the body
• D. In the surgical unit due to high exposure risk

Answer: (C)

Infection control for bloodborne viruses in dialysis focuses on how Hepatitis C is transmitted. Hepatitis C spreads mainly through blood, not through casual contact or routine patient-to-patient exposure in the unit. Because of that, there’s no need to isolate Hep C patients in a separate ward. They can be dialyzed in the same clinical dialysis area as other patients, as long as standard precautions are followed and equipment and surfaces are properly cleaned between patients. This approach protects everyone without wasting resources on unnecessary isolation. In practice, Hepatitis B requires more stringent separation with dedicated machines, but Hep C does not typically require that level of isolation in most units.