If you come in contact with another person's blood or body fluid (e.g., through a needle stick injury or mucous membrane splash), take the following steps IMMEDIATELY. 1) Perform basic first aid: 2) If you are located in Chandler Medical Center, locate a "red exposure packet" in your patient care area; this contains the Reportable Occurrence form and the Occupational Exposure form. Red packets are also available 24/7
in two central locations on the UK HealthCare Campus: the Central Staffing office at Chandler Hospital (room H144) and the Central Staffing office at Good Samaritan Hospital (room B102). If you are located in UK Good Samaritan Hospital, page the nursing House Supervisor. 3) At any training site (UK or off-site) immediately contact University Health Services (UHS) at 859-323-2778 (APPT). UHS is responsible for your overall care. To the
degree possible, know if your source patient has risk factors for HIV or Hepatitis. 4) Students on rotation within 50 miles of campus will receive all care at UHS. Students more than 50 miles from campus may, or may not, have care initiated at their rotation site. Contact your course director. All students will have all follow up care at UHS. Appointments can be made with University Health Service by calling 859-323-2778, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday. When reporting to UHS, the student must take a completed Reportable Occurrence form and a completed Occupational Exposure form. For students on rotation at UK, these forms are available at the nursing units. Off-site students may obtain these forms from the course director. 5) If the UHS physician prescribes prophylactic medication, they will advise you of the dispensing location. For on-site students and students in the immediate Lexington area, this will usually be through the UK Pharmacy. For students more than 50 miles from UK campus, pharmacies have been identified in coordination with the AHEC site coordinators. You will be informed of this pharmacy site at clerkship orientation. 6) At the time of exposure, the student must also report the exposure to the attending physician or resident. Off-site students must also notify the course director.
Healthcare facilities try their hardest to avoid the spread of bloodborne pathogens. Unfortunately, accidents still happen. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 needlestick and other percutaneous injuries occur nationally every year. At such a high number, it's crucial that your staff knows exactly what to do if such an injury occurs, and which protocols to follow if they've been exposed to bloodborne pathogens. Use these tips from ServiceMaster Clean to keep everyone on your team safe. What to Do If You've Been Exposed to Bloodborne PathogensIf you think you've been exposed to a bloodborne pathogen, you must act immediately. Take the following steps to keep yourself safe following exposure to bloodborne pathogens: Clean the AreaUse these guidelines to determine how you should clean the area, depending on the way you came into contact with the bloodborne pathogens:
Report the IncidentTell your supervisor immediately that you've come into contact with a bloodborne pathogen. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that employers have a bloodborne pathogens exposure control plan in place with steps to follow if an incident arises that can help you identify additional steps to take. Emergency medical services (EMS) must also be alerted for efficient and thorough follow-up care. Record the IncidentAfter medical care is provided to you, make sure to document the incident. As you write down what happened, you should include:
Take a Bloodborne Pathogens TestBloodborne pathogens include serious diseases like HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, which can cause life-threatening symptoms if left untreated. Once exposed to any of these illnesses, it's very important to take the appropriate bloodborne pathogens test to determine if the exposure resulted in contraction of the illness. What to Do After You've Received CareRemember that preventing bloodborne pathogens is much easier than treating these critical illnesses. Besides educating your healthcare facility on bloodborne pathogen awareness and learning how to keep high traffic areas safe from disease, we recommend contacting ServiceMaster Clean to enlist our healthcare janitorial services. With over 60 years of experience, we're experts at cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting healthcare facilities to control the spread of infection and lower the risk of exposure for both staff and patients.
Janitorial
What are the 5 major tactics for protection against bloodborne pathogens?Standard precautions include maintaining personal hygiene and using personal protective equipment (PPE), engineering controls, work practice controls, and proper equipment cleaning and spill cleanup procedures.
What is the correct order for responding to an exposure?If you aren't sure what to do, these 5 steps can help: Wash exposed skin, cuts, and needlestick injuries thoroughly with soap and water. If you have been splashed by potentially infectious fluids around the eyes, nose or mouth, flush the area with water. Immediately report the incident to emergency medical services.
What are 4 methods of compliance to bloodborne pathogens?These include the use of Universal Precautions, Engineering Controls, Work Practice Controls, PPE, and Housekeeping Procedures.
What should be done to avoid being exposed to bloodborne pathogens?Wear disposable gloves whenever providing care, particularly if you may come into contact ■ with blood or body fluids. Also wear protective coverings, such as a mask, eyewear and a gown, if blood or other body fluids can splash.
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