Bloodborne Pathogens

1. What are bloodborne pathegons/transmission - what we cover
   
   
   1. Microorganisms found in body fluids and tissues
      
      
   2. Transmitted through infected needles, unprotected cuts (open skin), eyes, mouth, nose
      
      
   3. HIV (Aids virus) - attacks body's immune system - dies on contact with air - no cure for
      
      
   4. HBV (Hepatitis virus) - inflammation of the liver (flu like symptoms) - can live on surfaces under the right conditions for a week or more - can be inoculated against - 80-95% effective for prevention - good for a lifetime, may require booster of exposure occurs (training at health center - series of three shots at 10 days, 30 days and 6 months/inoculation not mandatory)- bleach is the only thing that will kill virus
   
   
2. Universal Precautions
   
   
   1. Treat all body fluids as potentially infectious
      
      
   2. Use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) - gloves - look for visible tears, cover skin openings - we provide latex, nitrile gloves - wearing PPE greatly minimizes chances of contracting a BBP virus - demonstrate proper way to remove gloves - discard when soiled or torn
      
      
   3. Use a broom/dust pan/tongs to remove broken glass
      
      
   4. Handling trash - bags should be handled by the top - don't push the trash down unless you use something other than your hands
   
   
3. Clean-up Procedures
   
   
   1. Barricade area to be cleaned
      
      
   2. Use a diluted bleach solution - 9 parts water, 1 part bleach - let set for at least 10 minutes
      
      
   3. Equipment used to clean up a BB spill, should be disposed of in a red bio-hazard bag
      
      
   4. Thorough hand washing is the most important step in preventing an exposure
   
   
4. If an exposure occurs
   
   
   1. Contact your supervisor immediately
      
      
   2. You will be sent to the University Health Center to have a blood line drawn
      
      
   3. You will be periodically re-tested - results will remain strictly confidential unless you choose to share them