Exposure to Blood or Body Fluids

Introduction

Date of Last Review 9/5/08
SME: Infection Control Manager

This topic provides information about what happens when an UTHCPC employee, patient, visitor, or volunteer is exposed to blood or body fluids that may transmit possible infections.

Exposure definitions

These definitions describe the circumstances under which you should consider yourself exposed to possible infection:

Parenteral exposure
Exposed to blood or body fluids via a needle-stick or cut

Mucotaneous exposure
Exposed to blood or body fluids via splash to the eyes or mucous membranes

Cutaneous exposure
Involves large amounts of blood or prolonged contact with blood especially when the exposed skin is chapped, abraded, or afflicted with dermatitis

Appropriate medical facility

This table lists where to go when someone is exposed to possible infection and who to report the incident to:

Time of Exposure	Where to Go for Testing	Call to Report
8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. on weekdays	Student and Employee Health	Student and Employee Health at 713-500-3267
After 5:00 p.m. on weekdays Weekends	Needle-stick hotline will inform you of the place for care	Needle-stick hotline at 1-800-770-9206

Counseling

The person exposed to possible infection receives counseling regarding the risk of infection when:

The source patient's test results are unknown

The source patient is positive for the HIV antibody

The source patient is positive for Hepatitis B or C

Incident reporting and testing process

This table describes what happens when someone is exposed to possible infection:

Stage	Description
1	The person exposed informs the source patient's attending physician of the situation. The source patient's attending physician requests that post-exposure labs be ordered for the source patient as follows: Hepatitis BSAg Hepatitis C HIV
2	The person exposed and the attending physician work together to complete a Supervisor's First Report of Injury form.
3	Caution It is imperative that the employee seek treatment immediately. Reason: Triple therapy prophylaxis should be within the first two hours after exposure, if the physician recommends it. This table describes what happens next: WHEN the person exposed... THEN the person exposed.. Agrees to be tested for HIV, Hepatitis Calls the Needle-stick hotline Goes to the appropriate medical facility as directed for immediate testing, evaluation, and/or treatment Note: S/he takes the Supervisor's First Report of Injury form Refuses testing for HIV, Hepatitis Informs supervisor who consults and decides what steps to take, if any: Director of employee health service Medical director UTHCPC administration

Related standards

The Joint Commission : Surveillance, Prevention, and Control of Infection

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