Blood-borne Pathogen Educational Exposure Protocol

If you come in contact with another person's blood or body fluid (e.g., through a needle stick injury or mucous membrane splash), take the following steps IMMEDIATELY.

1) Perform basic first aid:

• Clean the wound, skin or mucous membrane immediately with soap and running water.
• Allow blood to flow freely from the wound. Do not attempt to squeeze or milk blood from the wound.
• If exposure is to the eyes, flush eyes with water or normal saline solution for several minutes.

2) If you are located in Chandler Medical Center, locate a "red exposure packet" in your patient care area; this contains the Reportable Occurrence form and the Occupational Exposure form. Red packets are also available 24/7 in two central locations on the UK HealthCare Campus: the Central Staffing office at Chandler Hospital (room H144) and the Central Staffing office at Good Samaritan Hospital (room B102).

If you are located in UK Good Samaritan Hospital, page the nursing House Supervisor.

3) At any training site (UK or off-site) immediately contact University Health Services (UHS) at 859-323-2778 (APPT). UHS is responsible for your overall care. To the degree possible, know if your source patient has risk factors for HIV or Hepatitis.

• If prophylactic treatment is recommended, it should be instituted as soon as possible after the exposure.
• If UHS is not open, contact the on-call UHS physician immediately by calling 859-323-5321 and ask the operator to page the University Health Service on-call physician immediately. When the physician returns your call, inform them that you have had a blood borne pathogen exposure. Have source patient health information at hand including source patient name and medical record number if known.
• Source patient testing will be organized by UHS for source patients at Chandler Medical Center, by the nursing House Supervisor if at UK Good Samaritan, or by the course director for off-site students. Do not attempt to have your own blood drawn. Proper lab tests will be ordered for you by UHS personnel at the time of your visit OR you will be advised where to have your blood drawn by your course director.

4) Students on rotation within 50 miles of campus will receive all care at UHS. Students more than 50 miles from campus may, or may not, have care initiated at their rotation site. Contact your course director. All students will have all follow up care at UHS. Appointments can be made with University Health Service by calling 859-323-2778, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

When reporting to UHS, the student must take a completed Reportable Occurrence form and a completed Occupational Exposure form. For students on rotation at UK, these forms are available at the nursing units. Off-site students may obtain these forms from the course director.

5) If the UHS physician prescribes prophylactic medication, they will advise you of the dispensing location. For on-site students and students in the immediate Lexington area, this will usually be through the UK Pharmacy. For students more than 50 miles from UK campus, pharmacies have been identified in coordination with the AHEC site coordinators. You will be informed of this pharmacy site at clerkship orientation.

6) At the time of exposure, the student must also report the exposure to the attending physician or resident. Off-site students must also notify the course director.