Bloodborne Pathogen Update

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Bloodborne Pathogen Update

• Its the Law

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1991 OSHA BBP Standard

• Written exposure control plan
• Free hepatitis B vaccine
• Engineering controls
• Labeling/color coding
• Training

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The BBP Standard 2001

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

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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

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What about Vandy?

• One of the 6 physicians who converted, converted
  at VUMC
• The risk is very real

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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.

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Protecting You from Exposure
Written Exposure Control Plan

• VUMC Policy OP 20-25

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Work Practice Controls
Do not mouth pipette or suction blood or other
potentially infectious materials.
Do not eat, drink or apply cosmetics in clinical
areas.
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Hand Hygiene

• To protect yourself and our very sick patients,
  WASH YOUR HANDS!
• You can use alcohol gel or soap and water

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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

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

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

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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

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Signs and Labels

• Red bagsInfectious Waste
• Biohazard symbol
• Yellow linen bag contaminated linen (all dirty
  linen treated as if infectious)

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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In the interest of patient, staff, faculty
student safety

• Refrain from placing medical equipment/ devices
  on mattresses.

Dont leave sharps on the patients bed.
Never stick needles/ sharps into the mattress.
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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.
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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