Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan

8.1     Purpose
While Texas law allows mandatory testing of a source patient in the event of an accidental exposure, it requires institutions to have written procedures that protect the rights of both source patients and exposed health care workers.

8.2     Definitions
Hazardous Body Fluids: Hazardous body fluids include blood, bloody fluids, and other body fluids which are known or assumed to be associated with the transmission of bloodborne pathogens.

Source Patient: The source patient is from whom the health care worker sustained an exposure of hazardous body fluids.

8.3     Exposure Risk Classifications
Blood Exposure
High Risk: Includes exposure to both large volumes of blood and blood with a known high titer of a bloodborne pathogen.
Increased Risk: Includes exposure to either large volumes of blood or blood with a known high titer of a bloodborne pathogen.
No Risk: Includes neither exposure to large volumes of blood nor blood with a known high titer of a bloodborne pathogen.

Skin Exposure
Increased Risk: Exposure involving a known high titer of a bloodborne pathogen, prolonged contact over an extensive area, and/or an area in which skin integrity is visibly compromised.

8.4 Treatment of Exposed Health Care Worker

Immediate Treatment
Immediate treatment is provided to the health care worker at the site where the injury occurred.   Immediate treatment consists of the following:

1. Clean exposed area with soap and water for at least 15 minutes.
2. Flush mucous membranes with water or saline for at least 15 minutes.

Notification Procedures for Exposed Health Care Worker
After immediate treatment is completed, the exposed health care worker should call 713-500-3267 for employees/faculty members or page 713-951-8013 for students/residents to speak with the UTHSC-H Exposure Coordinator, who will counsel the health care worker and refer him/her for appropriate care.

Early Treatment of Exposures
The exposed health care worker must fill out a "Supervisor's First Report Of Injury" form and blood samples are to be obtained prior to administration of any treatment. A blood sample for baseline surveillance should be obtained and sent to the lab prior to being given immune globulin.

Confidentiality of Lab Results
Lab work drawn on an exposed health care worker is identified by an encoded number and not his or her name. The encoded numbers are known only to the exposed health care worker and the designated Exposure Coordinator.

Costs for Lab Studies
Exposed health care workers are not responsible for the laboratory bills related to an accidental exposure occurring during work duties.  Worker exposures must be documented for reporting to the UT System worker’s compensation insurance program. Students are provided with a set of baseline health screening services and emergency response services for reported blood borne pathogen exposure events at no charge. The cost of clinical services beyond the baseline services will be the responsibility of the student.  Resident exposure events are filed with the UT Medical Foundation workers compensation insurance program.