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OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES TO BLOOD
Exposures to blood and other body fluids occur across a wide variety of occupations. Health care workers, emergency response and public safety personnel, and other workers can be exposed to blood through needlestick and other sharps injuries, mucous membrane, and skin exposures. The pathogens of primary concern are the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Workers and employers are urged to take advantage of available engineering controls and work practices to prevent exposure to blood and other body fluids. Click on this link to learn more: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/
Needlestick injuries and other sharps-related injuries which expose workers to bloodborne pathogens continues to be an important public health concern. Workers in many different occupations are at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS. First aid team members, housekeeping personnel in some settings, nurses and other healthcare providers are examples of workers who may be at risk of exposure.
Bloodborne Pathogens is addressed in standards specifically for the general industry.
Here is a link to the OSHA Website to learn more: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/index.html
What Healthcare Personnel Need to Know
Introduction
Healthcare personnel are at risk for occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Exposures occur through needlesticks or cuts from other sharp instruments contaminated with an infected patient's blood or through contact of the eye, nose, mouth, or skin with a patient's blood. Important factors that influence the overall risk for occupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens include the number of infected individuals in the patient population and the type and number of blood contacts. Most exposures do not result in infection. Following a specifi c exposure, the risk of infection may vary with factors such as these:
The pathogen involved
The type of exposure
The amount of blood involved in the exposure
The amount of virus in the patient's blood at the time of exposure
Your employer should have in place a system for reporting exposures in order to quickly evaluate the risk of infection, inform you about treatments available to help prevent infection, monitor you for side effects of treatments, and determine if infection occurs. This may involve testing your blood and that of the source patient and offering appropriate postexposure treatment.
How can occupational exposures be prevented?
Many needlesticks and other cuts can be prevented by using safer techniques (for example, not recapping needles by hand), disposing of used needles in appropriate sharps disposal containers, and using medical devices with safety features designed to prevent injuries. Using appropriate barriers such as gloves, eye and face protection, or gowns when contact with blood is expected can prevent many exposures to the eyes, nose, mouth, or skin.
For more visit: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/bbp/Exp_to_Blood.pdf
For Recommendations on preventing the transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B Virus to patients in a Healthcare setting click on the link below:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00014845.htm
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