In an emergency situation involving blood or potentially infectious materials, you should always use Universal Precautions and try to minimize your exposure by wearing gloves, splash goggles, pocket mouth-to-mouth resuscitation masks, and other barrier devices.

If you are exposed, however, you should:

1. Wash the exposed area thoroughly with soap and running water. Use non-abrasive, antibacterial soap if possible.
• If blood is splashed in the eye or mucous membrane, flush the affected area with running water for at least 15 minutes.
2. Report the exposure to your supervisor as soon as possible..

The University of Delaware has a specific set of procedures they will follow for all post-exposure cases. These are:

• Document the route(s) of exposure and the circumstances under which the exposure incident occurred.
• Identify and document the source individual unless such documentation is impossible or prohibited by law.
• Test the source individual's blood for HBV, HCV and HIV as soon as possible after consent is obtained. If the source individual is known to be seropositive for HBV, HCV or HIV, testing for that virus need not be done.
• Collect your blood as soon feasible, and test it after your consent is obtained.
• (If you consent to baseline blood collection, but do not give consent at that time for HIV serological testing, your blood sample will be kept for at least 90 days. If, within 90 days of the incident, you decide to consent to have the baseline sample tested, such testing shall be done as soon as possible, and at no cost to you.)
• Administer post exposure prophylaxis, when medically indicated, as recommended by the US Public Health Service.
• Provide counseling.
• Evaluate reported illnesses.

Apart from the circumstances surrounding the exposure itself, all other findings or diagnosis by health care professional(s) will remain entirely confidential.

Next

 

---

Introduction / Diseases / Transmission / Controls / Labels / Emergencies / Vaccinations / Quiz