Blood Borne Pathogens Introduction Why do you need to know about blood-borne pathogens? So you can avoid getting sick. So you don't make other people like your family, other staff and people you support. The training is very easy. You will have: information to read Pathogen - An organism that is so small it can only be seen with a microscope but which causes disease. Blood-borne pathogens are diseases that are present in human blood. They include: hepatitis B virus (HBV) hepatitis C virus (HCV) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV [AIDS]). There is no cure for HBV, HCV, or HIV once it has entered the blood. There is a vaccine to prevent HBV. You can not tell whether someone is infected with AIDS or the HBV viruses just by looking at them. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) attacks the liver. HBV can cause: Active hepatitis B--a flue-like illness that can last for months. A chronic carier state--the person may have no symptoms but can pass HBV on to others. Cirrhosis (liver disease), liver cancer and death. Fortunately, vaccines are available to prevent HBV infection. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) attacks the liver. Symptoms of active infection are milder than those of HBV--or may not even be present. But, HCV is more likely to cause: A chronic carrier state. Cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes. AIDS. HIV attacks the immune system, making the body less able to fight off infections. In most cases, these infections eventually prove fatal. Transmitting Blood Borne Pathogens Blood-borne pathogens can be transmitted in the following ways: needle-stick injuries cuts, scrapes, other breaks in the skin infected drug needles splashes into the mouth, nose, eyes oral, vaginal, or anal sex touching a contaminated object Blood-borne pathogens cannot be transmitted in the following ways: drinking fountain toilet casual contact kissing and hugging using the same eating utensil Bodily Fluids Blood-borne pathogens are transmitted in bodily fluids. Bodily fluids include the following: secretions from nose and mouth sputum or saliva feces urine blood wound drainage semen vaginal secretions Basically, anything that is wet and is not yours! Washing Hands Correctly Hand washing is the cornerstone of infection control. Follow this technique to minimize the spread of pathogens. DO... avoid wearing rings other than a plain band. Remove your wristwatch or push it to the middle of your forearm. stand before the sink, keeping your hands and clothing away from the sink surface. turn on the water and adjust the temperature to warm. wet your hands and wrists thoroughly under the running water. keep your hands and forearms lower than your elbows so the water flows down from the forearms to the hands. apply liquid soap (about the size of a half-dollar) to your hands and lather thoroughly. (If you must use bar soap, rinse it before and after you use it.) using plenty of lather and friction, wash your hands for 10 to 15 seconds. Vigorously wash the palms and backs of your hands, each finger, the areas between fingers, and your knuckles, wrists, and forearms. Wash at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) above any area of contamination. If your hands aren't visibly soiled, wash to 1 inch above your wrists. Rinsing and Drying Hands Correctly keeping your hands down, rinse your hands and wrists thoroughly. with a clean paper towel, dry your hands from the fingers toward your wrists and forearms. turn off the water by covering the faucet handles with a paper towel to avoid contaminating your hands. discard the paper towel in a trash can. cover cuts, scrapes, etc., with a bandage as an extra precaution because gloves can have holes in them. apply lotion to your hands to prevent chapped skin, which can hide organisms. Avoid lanolin if you're going to put on latex gloves because it degrade latex and may weaken the gloves. DON"T... touch the sink; it's contaminated. If your hands touch the sink or faucet at any time, start over. splash water on your clothing. use hot water. It tends to open the pores and remove skin oils. Standard Precautions What does Standard Precautions mean? Standard Precautions are the guidelines that must be followed to protect against blood-borne pathogens. Why do I need to know about Standard Precautions? The law requires all health care workers to follow Standard Precautions when dealing with bodily fluids. Standard Precautions help prevent the spread blood-borne pathogens. What are the Standard Precautions? Note: No single approach to controlling the spread of blood-borne infections is 100% effective. Use all of these precautions when working. Don't touch broken glass, needles, or other sharp objects, even if you have gloves on. Sweep broken glass up with a broom and dustpan and dispose of needles in a covered, puncture-resistant biohazard container. Never reach into the trash to get something. Wipe up spilled blood or other body fluids with disposable towels soaked in an approved disinfectant or a solution of bleach and water. Wear gloves!!Use protective barriers to prevent exposure to blood, body fluids containing visible blood, and other fluids. The type of protective barrier(s) should be appropriate for the procedure being performed and the type of exposure anticipated. Wash hands and other skin surfaces that are contaminated with blood or other body fluids with soap and water as soon as possible. Do not store blood next to food in refrigerators due to cross-contamination. Other things to remember are: Clean equipment and work surfaces at the end of your shift or when visibly contaminated by using an approved disinfectant. Wash out bathtubs and clean lifts after use. If you see other things that need to be cleaned, for example, if someone has been incontinent on the floor, don't wait for housekeeping to do it. Clean it up. What if I'm exposed to blood or other body fluids? Wash the exposed area immediately with soap and running water. Scrub vigorously with lots of lather. If eyes or any other mucous membranes are exposed, flush well with water. Report the incident promptly. Exposure Control Plan Everyone is at risk of exposure to blood-borne pathogens. The blood-borne pathogens standard applies not only to direct care staff but to everyone. It should be the responsibility of everyone to take necessary precautions in order to prevent exposure to blood-borne pathogens. That's it! Thanks for reading this important information on blood-borne pathogens.