What is an exposure?
An exposure incident occurs when human blood or other potentially infectious materials enter your body by:
- A splash to the eye, mouth or other mucus membrane
- Contamination of non-intact skin
- A puncture or cut with a sharp instrument which has been exposed to another’s body fluid
If exposed, what should you do?
Provide 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.
- Report the incident to your supervisor (resident, chief, attending).
- Immediately seek medical treatment (See instructions below).
Obtain Source Patient Information
- Obtain as much demographical data on the source patient as possible (name, date of birth, medical record number).
- Report your exposure to your immediate supervisor (resident, attending).
- Ask your supervisor to consent the source patient to testing for HIV, HBV and HCV at the time of exposure or when medically able to obtain consent (Rapid HIV test preferred).
Seek Medical Treatment
- Call During Business Hours: 213-740-9355 (WELL) After Hours: (323) 442-7900. Please leave a voicemail. There is a provider available 24/7 who will return your call. There is a provider available 24/7 who will return your call. More information can be found at https://studenthealth.usc.edu/bloodborne-pathogen-exposure/