What are the steps to be followed after an occupational exposure?

What are the steps to be followed after an occupational exposure?

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

What are the CDC recommendations for treatment immediately following an exposure?

How soon after exposure to a bloodborne pathogen should treatment start? Postexposure treatment should begin as soon as possible after exposure, prefer- ably within 24 hours, and no later than 7 days. Treatment should be started as soon as possible, preferably within hours as opposed to days, after the exposure.

What must happen within 10 days of starting a job with a risk of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens?

This vac- cination must be offered after the worker has received the required bloodborne pathogens training and within 10 days of initial assignment to a job with occupational exposure.

How soon should you be evaluated if you have a bloodborne pathogen exposure?

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.

What should be done first after an exposure incident?

1. Provide immediate care to the exposure site.

1. Wash wounds and skin with soap and water.
2. Flush mucous membranes with water.
3. DO NOT USE instrument involved on patient!
4. Employee must report incident immediately to supervisor/employer.

What is the first step following an exposure incident?

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

What should be the first action in the event of an exposure incident?

Provide immediate care to the exposure site. Wash wounds and skin with soap and water. Flush mucous membranes with water. DO NOT USE instrument involved on patient!

What are the requirements of the exposure control plan?

According to the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, an Exposure Control Plan must meet certain criteria:

• It must be written specifically for each facility.
• It must be reviewed and updated at least yearly (to reflect changes such as new worker.
• positions or technology used to reduce exposures to blood or body fluids)

How often should you train for bloodborne pathogens?

Under OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard, employers having employees with exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) must train employees annually regardless of the employees’ prior training or education.

Which job classifications have a higher likelihood of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens?

Workers in many occupations, including first responders, housekeeping personnel in some industries, nurses and other healthcare personnel, all may be at risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

When the healthcare worker exposed a patient to a bloodborne pathogen?

All patients and health care workers who have been potentially exposed to bloodborne pathogens should be strongly counseled to seek testing so they may benefit from medical management. Health care workers should also seek screening for bloodborne diseases per CDC recommendations as part of their own health care.

What is the first thing you should do if exposed to a patient’s blood or bodily fluids?

Wash the area with warm water and soap. If you are splashed with blood or body fluids and your skin has an open wound, healing sore, or scratch, wash the area well with soap and water. If you are splashed in the eyes, nose or mouth, rinse well with water. If you have been bitten, wash the wound with soap and water.

When to seek testing after an occupational exposure?

If the patient is expected to regain decision-making capacity in a reasonable period of time, a request for testing after an occupational exposure should be deferred and the exposed employee should be counseled about post-exposure prophylaxis based on the nature of the exposure.

When do health care workers need to be tested?

HCW who have had a high-risk exposure should be proactively tested post-exposure, immediately upon recognition of the exposure and between days 5-7 post-exposure. If signs or symptoms develop at any time in the 14 days following exposure, HCW should seek testing and isolate at home.

When to start PEP after an occupational exposure?

Do not wait for SP test results (unless results will be available within an hour or two) to proceed with a PEP decision and initiation, when indicated. The PEPline considers 72 hours post-exposure as the outer limit of opportunity to initiate PEP; however, a delay of that scale is believed to compromise PEP efficacy.

Can a source patient be exposed to an occupational exposure?

However, any discussions about testing of a source patient subsequent to a potential occupational exposure must be conducted by a health care professional who does not have a personal relationship with the exposed employee, and, whenever possible, does not have a professional relationship with the exposed employee.