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What To Do If You Have a Body Substance Exposure

Remember that a virus is spread through blood and body fluids, and the best way to avoid an exposure is to protect yourself by wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment. Goggles should be worn anytime a splash exposure could potentially occur. Gloves should be worn during contact with blood or moist body fluids.

Universal Precautions should be used for all patients.

Immediately following an exposure to the blood or body fluid of a patient:

  • Needlesticks and cuts should be washed with soap and water.
  • Splashes to the nose, mouth, or skin should be flushed with water.
  • Eyes should be irrigated with clean water, saline or sterile irrigants.

There is no scientific evidence to show that using antiseptics for wound care or squeezing the wound will reduce the transmission of HIV. The use of a caustic agent, such as bleach, is not recommended.

Alpha or numeric page EHS 24 hours per day at beeper #5356. During EHS hours the Employee Health Nurse will return your page. After EHS hours, the pager will be forwarded to the appropriate staff in the Emergency Department. Instructions will be given to you on the next course of action. You will need to provide the source patient's name, registration number, and hospital location and phone number where you can be reached.

NEVER INITIATE DRAWING PATIENT BLOOD FOR TESTING WITHOUT CALLING EHS. Blood may already have been tested or available in the lab. If blood work is indicated EHS/ED will instruct you. If instructed to draw blood on the source patient, follow this link for the lab requisition that you can use. A rapid HIV test on the source patient is completed on all reported exposures unless the patient has a documented positive HIV test.

If HIV post exposure treatment is recommended it should be started as soon as possible - preferably within two hours.

Lastly, don't forget to complete an Illness or Injury Report Form to document the injury.

EMPLOYEES AT OFF-SITE CLINICS:

You may draw blood on the source patient at your site if the following steps have been completed:

  • Page EHS at 5356 to report the exposure
  • EHS has instructed you to draw blood on the source patient

If both of these steps have been completed, follow this link for the lab requisition that you can use. After blood has been drawn call Metro Couriers at 973-0973 for stat pick-up.

 

More information about body substance exposures can be found by clicking on these links:

Information on bloodborne pathogens.

Body substance exposure reporting process

For printable instructions to post at your site: "What to do if you have a Body Substance Exposure."

OSHA's information about Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention.

Management of exposures to bloodborne pathogens

Chemoprophylaxis after occupational exposure to HIV

Instructions and consent form for post exposure prophylaxis for HIV