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how long do you have to report a blood exposure

by Audie Pouros Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires medical follow-up for workers who have an exposure incident. Exposures should be reported within 1 hour if possible to allow for prompt intervention to reduce the risk of infection. Follow the protocol of your employer.

Full Answer

When do you have to report a blood or bodily fluid?

If blood or bodily fluids from another person do come into contact with your skin or mucous membranes, you must act immediately. Reporting the incident to your supervisor is the only way to address the possible health consequences from exposure. Why is it necessary to immediately report exposure?

What happens if you get exposed to blood?

Exposure may occur after a needlestick or sharps injury. It can also occur when blood or other body fluid touches your skin, eyes, mouth, or other mucosal surface. Exposure can put you at risk for infection. After a needlestick or cut exposure, wash the area with soap and water. For a splash exposure to the nose, mouth, or skin, flush with water.

What do you do if you come in contact with blood?

Immediately Report Exposure to Blood and Bodily Fluids If blood or bodily fluids from another person do come into contact with your skin or mucous membranes, you must act immediately. Reporting the incident to your supervisor is the only way to address the possible health consequences from exposure.

What should you do if you’ve been exposed to a bloodborne pathogen?

The first step you must take when you think you’ve possibly been exposed to a bloodborne pathogen is to thoroughly wash any cut, abrasion, needlestick, or even exposed skin that has come into contact with blood, bodily fluids, or other biological matter. Flush Fully With Water

What are the risks of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens?

What constitutes occupational exposure in dentistry?

Should postexposure treatment be started?

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What should you do if you are exposed to a patient's blood?

Wash the site of the needlestick or cut with soap and water. Flush splashes to the nose, mouth, or skin with water. Irrigate eyes with clean water, saline, or sterile irrigants. Report the incident to your supervisor or the person in your practice responsible for managing exposures.

What is the proper reporting procedure if you are exposed to a bloodborne pathogen?

Immediately report the incident to emergency medical services. If the incident occurred at work, immediately report the incident to your supervisor. (You are protected by OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard.

Is blood exposure OSHA recordable?

A bloodborne exposure incident coupled with medical treatment constitutes a recordable case.

What should an employee do after exposure to blood?

Report this immediately to your employer and seek immediate medical attention. CDC: Emergency Needlestick Information also provides immediate access to treatment protocols following blood exposures involving HIV, HBV and HCV, including the Clinicians' Post Exposure Prophylaxis Hotline (PEPline) at 1-888-448-4911.

What happens if you get someone else's blood in your cut?

Very low risk of infection The risk of infection is very low if infected blood comes into contact with unbroken skin.

When should you report exposure to OSHA?

Reporting Incident — Employees should immediately report exposure incidents to the employer to permit timely medical follow-up. According to the U.S. Public Health Service, if HIV postexposure prophylaxis is medically indicated it should be initiated promptly, preferably within 1-2 hours after the exposure incident.

What is considered blood exposure?

Exposure Incident means a specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that results from the performance of an employee's duties.

Do needlestick injuries need to be reported?

If you sustain a sharps injury, it is very important to report the injury to your employer and to file an injury report. The objective of an injury report is to receive immediate post exposure care and to learn from incidents.

What do you do first when a blood exposure incident occurs quizlet?

Wash needle stick injuries, cuts, and exposed skin with soap and water. Flush splashes of blood or other body fluids to nose and mouth with water. Irrigate eyes with clean water or saline. Immediately report the exposure to your supervisor.More items...

Why is it important to report exposure incidents immediately?

Exposure incidents should be reported immedi- ately to the employer since they can lead to infec- tion with hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or other bloodborne pathogens.

Is blood on intact skin an exposure?

Unbroken (intact) skin forms an impervious barrier against bloodborne pathogens; therefore, blood getting on intact skin is not considered an exposure risk.

Which virus is the most likely to cause an infection following exposure to blood?

The most common and dangerous germs spread through blood in the hospital are: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). These viruses cause infections and liver damage. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).

What is the first procedural step after an exposure incident?

Procedures: (1) When an exposure incident occurs, implement first aid; e.g.. wash the affected area exposed to a sharp preferably with an antimicrobial soap; flush the eyes with running water immediately following a bodily fluid splash.

What do you do first when a blood exposure incident occurs quizlet?

Wash needle stick injuries, cuts, and exposed skin with soap and water. Flush splashes of blood or other body fluids to nose and mouth with water. Irrigate eyes with clean water or saline. Immediately report the exposure to your supervisor.More items...

What are 4 methods of compliance to bloodborne pathogens?

To effectively eliminate or minimize exposure to bloodborne pathogens, Standard Precautions, instituted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be followed. These include the use of Universal Precautions, Engineering Controls, Work Practice Controls, PPE, and Housekeeping Procedures.

How long should you flush your eyes if exposed to a bloodborne pathogen?

fifteen minutesAlthough ANSI standards not incorporated in OSHA standards are not binding, they do provide technical information to help determine sufficiency here. ANSI Z358. 1 states that eyewash facilities should deliver flushing fluid to the eyes for not less than 1.5 liters per minute (0.4 gpm), for fifteen minutes 4.

OSHA FACTSHEET BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS STANDARD:OSHA FACTSHEET PPE

•Implement the use of universal precautions (treating all human blood and OPIM as if known to be infectious for bloodborne pathogens). • Identify and use engineering controls.These are devices that isolate or remove the blood-

OSHA FACTSHEET BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS EXPOSURE INCIDENTS:OSHA FACTSHEET PPE

Medical Evaluation and Follow-up When a worker experiences an exposure incident, the employer must make immediate confidential medical evaluation and follow-up available to the

Exposure to blood; what healthcare personnel need to know

Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Linking to a non-federal Website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.

Quick Guide to Management of Occupational Blood Exposures - South Dakota

Attachment #1 Reviewed August 28, 2012 Revised June 7, 2016 Quick Guide to Management of Occupational Blood Exposures . Provide immediate care to the exposuresite.

This PDF has been retired. For updated information, please visit

HCV The average risk for infection after a needlestick or cut exposure to HCV-infected blood is approximately 1.8%. The risk following a blood exposure

What are the risks of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens?

Health care personnel are at risk for occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens — pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Following a specific exposure, ...

What constitutes occupational exposure in dentistry?

What constitutes an occupational exposure in dentistry? Occupational exposures can occur through needlesticks or cuts from other sharp instruments contaminated with an infected patient’s blood (including blood contaminated saliva) or through contact of the eye, nose, mouth, or skin with a patient’s blood. Health care personnel are at risk ...

Should postexposure treatment be started?

Immediately seek medical evaluation from a qualified health care professional1 because, in some cases, postexposure treatment may be recommended and should be started as soon as possible.

What to do if you think you have been exposed to a bloodborne pathogen?

The first step you must take when you think you’ve possibly been exposed to a bloodborne pathogen is to thoroughly wash any cut, abrasion, needlestick, or even exposed skin that has come into contact with blood, bodily fluids, or other biological matter.

What to do if you have blood in a public place?

If you’ve had contact with blood or other bodily fluids in some sort of public venue, you need to report the incident to the management of the business or other types of establishments. There are legal reasons why you need to make this type of notification. If you become infected with some sort of virus or bacterium, the establishment where you had contact with blood or another type of bodily fluid may become responsible for the costs associated with your medical care. In addition, you will want to make sure that the public establishment addresses the presence of blood or other bodily fluids so that no one else is exposed to the biohazard.

How do you get a bloodborne virus?

This can happen during the blood cleanup process, by sharing needles, and by any other activity that brings you into direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids.

What are bloodborne pathogens?

Bloodborne pathogens are hazardous microorganisms like viruses and bacteria that have the potential for causing disease and illness in human beings. Indeed, there are bloodborne pathogens that can cause chronic disease or permanent illness. There are bloodborne pathogens that can prove to be fatal. If you find yourself exposed to blood or bodily fluids that you believe may contain a dangerous pathogen, these are five steps you need to take in the aftermath of such exposure. Indeed, if you are exposed to blood or bodily fluids not your own, these steps should be followed. You must err on the side of caution when it comes to contact with another person’s blood or bodily fluids.

What happens if you splash blood on your face?

If you’ve splashed blood or some other bodily fluid into your face – around your nose, eyes, or mouth – thoroughly flush the area with copious amounts of water. The mucous membranes associated with these parts of the body can be portals through which different types of viruses and bacteria may be able to enter a person’s body.

What is the heart of being prepared for blood cleanup?

At the heart of being fully prepared is to ensure that you wear appropriate protective gear. This includes:

Do you have to report blood to supervisor?

If you make contact with blood or other bodily fluids in an employment setting, you need to report this exposure to a designated supervisor. If you end up ill as a result of an infection, you may need to pursue a worker’s compensation claim. The worker’s comp laws in California and across the country have a standard requirement that an injured worker reports an injury – including possible exposure to tainted blood – to his or her supervisor.

How long does it take to get a positive HIV DNA test?

The window period for HIV DNA PCR is six weeks. This means that if the patient’s infection began within six weeks of the test, the test may be falsely negative. Most people will have a positive HIV DNA PCR well before six weeks after time of infection, so six weeks is a conservative estimate. The test is done off-site and results are usually available within one to four weeks. Because of this, most decisions whether or not to initiate PEP must be made without the information from this testing, but in some cases a negative HIV DNA PCR test may allow discontinuation of PEP or may offer reassurance to the exposed person.

What is post exposure prophylaxis?

Post-exposure prophylaxis refers to medications given to prevent infection after exposure. The prophylactic treatment offers both benefit and risk to the exposed person (see table 3). This policy provides a recommendation about when to take PEP and describes how PEP should be administered but does not mandate that PEP be taken when recommended, or not taken when not recommended. The exposed person must be advised of the risks and benefits and make their own decision whether or not to take PEP.

How long should you rinse your eyes after a syringe?

Percutaneous injuries should be allowed to bleed, and rinsed thoroughly in running water for 5 minutes. Mucous membranes including the eyes should be rinsed with saline or with water for 5 minutes.

What happens after exposure to a virus?

After exposure, there is a risk you may become infected with germs. These may include: Hepatitis B or C virus (causes liver infection) HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Bacteria, such as staph. Most of the time, the risk of becoming infected after exposure is low. But you need to report any exposure right away.

Where on your body was the exposure?

Where on your body the exposure was (such as skin, mucous membrane, eyes, mouth, or somewhere else) Whether the person has hepatitis, HIV, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

What does it mean when you are exposed to sharps?

Being exposed to sharps (needles) or body fluids means that another person's blood or other body fluid touches your body. Exposure may occur after a needlestick or sharps injury. It can also occur when blood or other body fluid touches your skin, eyes, mouth, or other mucosal surface.

Why is it necessary to immediately report exposure?

Why is it necessary to immediately report exposure? Although you cannot reverse exposure to bloodborne pathogens, proper measures can prevent the spread of an infection. In some cases, such as with HIV exposure, medications taken within a certain time frame can increase the chances of preventing infection.

What to do if blood comes into contact with skin?

If blood or bodily fluids from another person do come into contact with your skin or mucous membranes, you must act immediately. Reporting the incident to your supervisor is the only way to address the possible health consequences from exposure.

Does an employer provide care for exposure?

Will an employer provide care for your exposure? Every facility varies in its provision of coverage. If you are unsure about whether your organization provides exposure coverage, speak with your employer because only they have this information. In cases where your employer does offer financial coverage, you may be required to submit to a medical evaluation or submit relevant medical information after an incident.

What are the risks of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens?

Health care personnel are at risk for occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens — pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Following a specific exposure, ...

What constitutes occupational exposure in dentistry?

What constitutes an occupational exposure in dentistry? Occupational exposures can occur through needlesticks or cuts from other sharp instruments contaminated with an infected patient’s blood (including blood contaminated saliva) or through contact of the eye, nose, mouth, or skin with a patient’s blood. Health care personnel are at risk ...

Should postexposure treatment be started?

Immediately seek medical evaluation from a qualified health care professional1 because, in some cases, postexposure treatment may be recommended and should be started as soon as possible.

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1.Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure | NIOSH | CDC

Url:https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-157/default.html

26 hours ago  · These interventions can only be made after careful risk assessment by trained clinicians 😁 Individuals exposed should immediately seek specialist care from a recognized …

2.Occupational Exposure to Blood | FAQs | Infection Control …

Url:https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol/faqs/occupational-exposure.html

19 hours ago Wash needlesticks and cuts with soap and water. Flush splashes to nose, mouth, or skin with water. Irrigate eyes with clean water, saline, or sterile wash. Report all exposures promptly to …

3.OSHA FACTSHEET BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS …

Url:https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/bbfact04.pdf

18 hours ago Health care professionals caring for exposed health care workers can call the National Clinicians’ Post-exposure Prophylaxis Hotline (PEPline) for advice on managing occupational exposures …

4.Five Steps to Take After Potential Exposure to Blood …

Url:https://ecobear.co/knowledge-center/bloodborne-pathogens-exposure/

19 hours ago The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires medical follow-up for workers who have an exposure incident. Exposures should be reported within 1 hour if possible to allow for prompt …

5.Guidelines for Blood-borne Pathogen Exposure and …

Url:https://ghi.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/168/2012/03/lood-bourne-path-exposure.pdf

14 hours ago worker who participates in post-exposure evalua-tion and follow-up may consent to have his or her blood drawn for determination of a baseline infec-tion status, but has the option to withhold …

6.1904.8 - Recording criteria for needlestick and sharps …

Url:https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.8

19 hours ago  · Bloodborne pathogens are hazardous microorganisms like viruses and bacteria that have the potential for causing disease and illness in human beings. Indeed, there are …

7.After an exposure to sharps or body fluids - MedlinePlus

Url:https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000442.htm

22 hours ago possible after the exposure. If more than 72 hours have passed since the exposure, PEP may not be recommended. Seek consultation with an HIV specialist in this case. PEP should be taken …

8.Immediately Report Exposure to Blood and Bodily Fluids

Url:https://advancedmedicalcertification.com/lesson/bloodborne-pathogens-immediately-report-exposure-to-blood-or-blood-containing-fluids/

15 hours ago If I record an injury and the employee is later diagnosed with an infectious bloodborne disease, do I need to update the OSHA 300 Log? Yes, you must update the classification of the case on the …

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