AIDS guidelines sound, nurses say. (American Nurses Association) (Centers for Disease Control)

DATELINE: American Nurses Association

New federal guidelines on bloodborne diseases including AIDS and hepatitis B are scientifically sound and correct, the American Nurses Association (ANA) said.

"The emphasis is appropriately on educating healthcare workers and patients about proper infection control procedures," said Lucille Joel, Ed.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., president of the ANA. "Scrupulously following tested infection control techniques is the only way to prevent the spread of HIV and HBV."

The new guidelines released by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) do not call for mandatory testing of healthcare workers. CDC notes that the cost of …