Dr Piyush Tailor

• An “exposure” that may place a Health Care Provider (HCP) at risk of blood borne infection is defined as a percutaneous injury (e.g. needle-stick or cut with a sharp instrument), contact with the mucous membranes of the eye or mouth, contact with non-intact skin (particularly when the exposed skin is chapped, abraded, or afflicted with dermatitis), or contact with intact skin when the duration of contact is prolonged (e.g. several minutes or more) with blood or other potentially infectious body fluids.

Management of Exposure:

• In case of any accident or occupational exposure, lab In charge

• is informed immediately and treated as emergency.

• If there is cut then hands are washed running water with soap.

• If there is splash of blood or any other fluid, then area is washed properly with water. Inform the lab in-charge and document in accident register.

• Lab in charge should inform the Medical officer, In-Charge, ART centre for appropriate actions.

• Risk of infection & transmission is evaluated by clinician and if necessary, prophylaxis is initiated by him.

DON’TS

•Do not panic

•Do not reflexively place pricked finger into mouth

•Do not squeeze blood from wound, this causes trauma and inflammation, increasing risk of transmission

•Do not use bleach, alcohol, betadine, or iodine, which may be caustic, also causing trauma

DO’S:

Following any needle stick / sharp injury:-

• Wash off splashes on skin with soap and running water, but without scrubbing. Gently encourage bleeding if the skin has been broken, but without sucking the wound.

• Record the source of the exposure (patient’s name, unit number etc), type of body fluid, and type of injury on the incident/accident form.

• Incident Forms must be completed as soon as possible.

Following eye/ mucus membrane exposure:

• Exposed mucous membranes, including conjunctivae, should be irrigated copiously with water / NS.

• Record the source of the exposure (patient’s name, unit number etc), type of body fluid, and type of injury on the incident/accident form.

• Incident Forms must be completed as soon as possible.