Bloodborne Pathogen Update

It’s the Law

1991 OSHA BBP Standard

• Written exposure control plan

• Free hepatitis B vaccine

• Engineering controls• Labeling/color

coding• Training

The BBP Standard 2001

• Mandatory safe needle and sharp devices

• If the safe needle/sharp cannot be used clinically, there must be documentation

What is the Big Deal?

CDC is aware of 57 healthcare workers in the U.S. who have been documented as having seroconverted to HIV following occupational exposures.

• 24 nurses• 19 laboratory workers• 6 physicians• 2 surgical technicians• 1 dialysis technician

• 1 respiratory therapist• 1 health aide• 1 morgue technician• 2 housekeepers

What about Vandy?

• One of the 6 physicians who converted, converted at VUMC

• The risk is very real

Protecting You from Exposure

• Standard Precautions is the single most important measure to control transmission of bloodborne pathogens.

• Standard Precautions means to treat ALL human blood and other potentially infectious materials as if they were infected with bloodborne pathogens.

Protecting You from Exposure

• VUMC Policy OP 20-25

Written Exposure Control Plan

Work Practice Controls

Do not eat, drink or apply cosmetics in clinical areas.

Do not mouth pipette or suction blood or other potentially infectious materials.

Hand Hygiene

• To protect yourself and our very sick patients, WASH YOUR HANDS!

• You can use alcohol gel or soap and water

Do Not Wear…..

• Sandals if you provide direct patient care

• Visible body piercings other than ears

• Refer to policies:

CL20-06.05

OP 20-06.20

OP 10-60

Personal Protective Equipment

• Masks• Gloves• Goggles• Mask/goggle combo• Shoe covers• Gowns

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is available to you to reduce your risk of exposure. The PPE includes:

Handling of PPE

• Remove PPE prior to leaving the work area

• OR shoes covers, masks, or any other PPE should NOT be worn outside the work area

• Contaminated PPE should be disposed of in red bags.

• uncontaminated PPE can be disposed of in the regular trash

Signs and Labels

• Red bags=Infectious Waste• Biohazard symbol• Yellow linen bag =

contaminated linen (all dirty linen treated as if infectious)

What if I find a blood spill?

• Get something to blot the blood, like paper towels.

• Notify Environmental Services that a blood spill has occurred and tell them the location

How to Clean a Blood Spill

• Don gloves• Blot spill with

absorbent material• Discard blood soaked

material in a red bag• Disinfect with hospital

approved disinfectant• Remove gloves and

discard in red bag• Wash Hands

If An Exposure Occurs

• Immediate first aid: • Wash needlesticks

and cuts with soap and water

• Flush splashes to the nose, mouth, or skin with water

• Irrigate eyes with clean water, saline, or sterile irrigants.

If An Exposure Occurs

Following any blood/body fluid exposure, you should report the exposure by:

• Completing a Tennessee First Report of Work Injury

• Promptly reporting to Occupational Health Clinic or the VUMC ED

Post Exposure Documentation

• Type and “Brand” of device causing injury – BD syringe• Place where injury occurred – 8N Rm 8010 or 4140 MRB3 • Explanation of the incident – “I laid the syringe on the

table..”• Route of exposure – needlestick or splash to face, etc• Work practices and personal protective equipment being

used at the time of the incident – gloves only, no mask

In the interest of patient, staff, faculty & student safety…

Refrain from placing medical equipment/ devices on mattresses.

Don’t leave sharps on the patient’s bed.

Never stick needles/ sharps into the mattress.

Sharp objects in the patient bed jeopardize employee and patient safety by:

• Causing blood and body fluid exposures from needles/sharps injuries.

• Damaging theintegrity of themattresscovers andmattressescausingcontaminationfrom blood andbody fluids.

Place protective covers on sharp ends of external fixation hardware.

If you have questions

• Call Infection Control at X-60725 24/7 beepers

• Call Vanderbilt Environmental Health and Safety at X-22057

• Call Occupational Health at X-60955