What are Bloodborne Pathogens?
Your local urgent care center
can perform several procudures that involve needles and other sharp,
invasive objects (for example, scalpels).
Most patients will never be exposed
to the amount of exposed needles as healthcare workers. However, it
is important for them to understand the same Universal Precautions
that nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals take when they
handle contaminated needs.
Universal Precaution is the
term that the medical field uses to describe the precautions taken
with every patient, regardless of their medical status, to protect
themselves from bloodborne pathogens such as HIV and Hepatitis.
At home, patients can be exposed to
bloodborne pathogens if they:
- Have a diabetic family member who regularly tests their blood sugar or gives themselves insulin shots.
- Share shaving razors.
- Change the trash and are stuck by unprotected needles.
It is important for patients and
healthcare workers alike to protect themselves with proper personal
protective equiptment if their risk of exposure is high.
Reducing exposure in a home where needles are present
In some homes where a family member
has to administer regular blood tests or injections (like Lovenox™,
Sandostatin™, or insulin), exposure to possible needlesticks
is higher. In fact, the FDA says that “There are 9 million
Americans who use needles and other sharps that must be disposed of
outside of healthcare settings every year” (FDA.gov, 2014).
Family members can all pitch in to
ensure the safety of the househole by placing all used needles in
proper disposal containers. The CDC has approved plastic milk
cartons, heavy-duty plastic laundry-detergent containers, and coffee
tins as approved disposal containers for sharps. Medical facilities
may also give the patient a red sharps container.
Never dispose of sharps in
plastic bags or trashcans. This can endanger public
workers and family members who change the tash liner.
If you are exposed to a needlestick
The most common way to be exposed to
bloodborne pathogens is to be accidentally stuck by a needle. Often,
you do not know if the needle is contaminated, and the CDC states
that you should implement the following steps:
- Immediately wash the site with soap and water.
- If the blood splattered and reached contact with other parts of your body, flush them as well.
- Seek immediate medical treatment, even at your local Urgent Care Clinic Houston.
Your medical facility will evaluate
your risk for bloodborne diseases such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C,
and HIV/AIDS with a blood test. They will also give you instructions
for surveillance, and attempt to contact anyone you suspect may have
also used the needle to test them for pathogens as well.
References
CDC.gov. (2013). Bloodborne
Infectious Diseases: HIV/AIDS, Hepatits B, Hepatitis C: Emergency
Needlestick Information. Retrieved on March 4, 2014 from
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/emergnedl.html.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/emergnedl.html.
FDA.gov. (2014). Needles and
Other Sharps (Safe Disposal Outside of Health Care Settings).
Retrieved on March 4, 2014 from
http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/HomeHealthandConsumer/Consu
merProducts/Sharps/ucm20025647.htm.
http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/HomeHealthandConsumer/Consu
merProducts/Sharps/ucm20025647.htm.
-Carolyn A. Medrano, 2014
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