What To Do After Being Exposed to Infected Bodily Fluid

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We recently published a guide to safely and effectively cleaning up bodily fluids. This guide largely focused on surfaces and medical devices. But what should you do if you are exposed to infected bodily fluids?

When it comes to infection control, prevention is everything.

Standard Infection Control Precautions and PPE

Follow your Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs) and you can significantly reduce the risk of infection in your hospital or healthcare setting.

One precaution is particularly important for reducing the risk of exposure to infected bodily fluids: Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that provides adequate protection against the risks associated with whatever task you’re undertaking. This means you should consider certain key factors when choosing PPE for every given scenario.

Procedures for Correct PPE Storage and Use

As well as choosing the right PPE for every circumstance, you should also follow certain procedures when it comes to storing, putting on, and taking off PPE:

  • Stick to single-use PPE unless specified by the manufacturer.
  • Store your PPE close to the point of use.
  • Also store it in a clear and dry area until you need to use it.
  • Pay attention to any expiry dates on the packaging.
  • Change your PPE immediately after seeing each patient, and immediately following every task or procedure.
  • Take off the PPE in the correct order, to keep contact with skin to a minimum.
  • Ensure you dispose of used PPE in the correct waste stream.

Dealing With an Exposure Incident

The Health and Safety Executive has guidelines on dealing with, managing, and reporting an exposure incident in the workplace. Their guidelines refer explicitly to incidents involving blood-borne viruses (BBV), but the policies and procedures could apply to exposure to any bodily fluid.

Immediate Response to an Exposure Incident

  • Wash any area exposed to blood or bodily fluids copiously with water – particularly if the eyes or mouth has been exposed.
  • If a puncture wound gets exposed to blood or bodily fluids, the guidance advised that “the wound should be gently encouraged to bleed, but not scrubbed or sucked.” Following this, you should wash the area with soap and water.

Evaluate the Exposure Incident

Consider the following factors to determine the potential for infection transmission:

  • What type of bodily fluid is involved? Different types of bodily fluid carry different infection risks. If the person carries a known infection risk, then you should consider all bodily fluids to be potential vectors for infection.
  • What was exposed to the bodily fluid? Skin is impervious to most viruses, so long as it’s intact. But mucous membranes, such as the eyes and the mouth, are vulnerable to infection transmission.
  • Was the exposure direct or indirect? By direct, we mean the bodily fluid was transmitted directly from the patient to someone else, such as via a cough, a sneeze, or spilled blood. Indirect exposure can come from handling devices or other objects that have been contaminated.
  • Was PPE Involved? See above for some guidelines regarding PPE.
  • What happened next? Were you able to contain the exposure risk? For example, were you able to administer immediate first aid – i.e. thorough washing of the infected area? Were you able to clean and safely dispose of any contaminated objects?

Following Steps Depending on Potential Risk

Having evaluated the incident, and the possible infection risks, you might carry out a number of interventions.

The HSE guidance related to possible BBV infections, so details what sort of infections you should test for, and how often you should test for them.

For how to manage outbreaks of other types of infections, see our guide to the most common hospital acquired infections.

Depending on the type of infection, you may also have to report to certain government agencies following the exposure risk.

Preventing The Spread of Infection in Hospitals and Healthcare Settings

At Cairn Technology, we’ve been helping both NHS and private hospitals prevent and control infections for over 20 years with a number of innovative products and solutions.

For example, we stock a full range of absorbent mats for hospitals, which can effectively trap and contain spillages allowing for safe and clean disposal afterwards. Not only can this help you prevent exposure to bodily fluids, but it can also help reduce the risks of trips, slips, and falls.

We also offer our body fluid spill kit, designed to clear up smaller spills of bodily fluids quickly and safely.

Want to discuss how we can help you control infections in your hospital? Get in touch to talk to one of our friendly experts today.

Bodily Fluid Clean Up Procedure

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In all healthcare settings, bodily fluids are a major vector for spreading harmful pathogens. For this reason, an effective bodily fluid clean up procedure is one of the 10 Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICP).

In this post we will outline the advised bodily fluid clean up procedure while also discussing certain solutions that will help you stay on top of your infection prevention duties without compromising on your operational efficiency.

Potentially Hazardous Bodily Fluids in Healthcare Settings

Any bodily fluid can contain germs which can cause infection. Because it’s not always clear whether a person has an infection, you should take adequate precautions wherever you might encounter:

  • Blood
  • Faeces
  • Saliva
  • Vomit
  • Nasal discharges
  • Urine

The Bodily Fluid Clean Up Procedure

  • You should clean up any bodily fluid spillages immediately.
  • Wear adequate PPE. You should always wear gloves. If there’s a risk of splashing, also wear an apron. Assess the need for facial and eye protection depending on the circumstances.
  • Choose the right cleaning product. The best cleaning products for bodily fluids combine detergent and disinfectant, making them effective against both viruses and bacteria. If this is not possible, clean with a detergent first, followed by a disinfectant. Browse our range of hospital-grade cleaning products.
  • Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and take care not to use any products that are unsuitable for the body fluid you’re cleaning. For example, if the cleaning product contains any trace of chlorine, then it cannot be used to clean urine.
  • Use disposable paper towels or cloths, and dispose of them immediately and safely after use, in the correct waste stream.
  • Always have specialist spillage kits on hand so you can safely and quickly clean high-risk bodily fluids including blood, vomit, and urine.

Access the official NHS safe management of blood and body fluids guidelines.

Speciality Bodily Fluid Spill Kits

We stock a range of specialist spill kits for healthcare settings. Our range includes bodily fluid spill kits  to effectively clean and decontaminate affected areas.

Browse our full range of spill kits.

We also offer detailed training to help your staff understand and respond to the spill risks they face in their work. Get in touch for more information.

How To Make Your Fluid Control More Effective in a Healthcare Setting

When it comes to spillages of bodily fluids, effective infection prevention and control depends on acting as quickly as possible. Our spill kits can make a huge difference here, and we also stock an advanced range of absorbent floor mats for hospitals and other healthcare settings.

Our absorbent mats will help you optimise your fluid management for dependable infection prevention and control. They will also help you avoid additional health and safety risks, such as slips and trips, while greatly optimising your turnaround times.

For example, our T-Mat absorbent floor mat can absorb up to 8.5 litres of water or 3.5 litres of saline. It gels liquids in minutes, binding the fluid hygienically and becoming dry to the touch. This means you can quickly, easily, and safely dispose of the mat in the appropriate clinical waste stream.

Browse our full range of bodily fluid management solutions for hospitals and other healthcare settings.

 

Occupational Health Hazards for Nurses and How to Prevent Them

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Hospitals and healthcare settings can be hazardous environments to work in. Nurses face multiple occupational health hazards every day – some obvious, others not so obvious.

In this post we’ll list some common occupational health hazards for nurses, and how to prevent them.

Slip, Trip and Fall Hazards in Hospitals

Slips, trips and falls are an occupational health hazard in most, if not all, working environments. And hospitals and healthcare settings are no exception. The difference is that slips, trips and falls in the healthcare sector can be particularly dangerous.

If nurses slip or trip while carrying delicate medical equipment, sharp instruments, hazardous samples or substances, or even trays of food, then they could cause some serious harm to themselves and others.

There may also be more slipping and tripping hazards in healthcare settings than in other workplaces, including spilled fluids, dropped or discarded gowns, clothing or bedding, and devices and equipment left out of place.

The Solution

Thorough and comprehensive cleaning procedures can ensure that tripping and slipping hazards are addressed before they cause any problems. Fluid management is an important area of focus. Unless spills are cleaned as soon as possible, surfaces can remain slippery for hours.

We stock a range of spill kits to help hospitals address chemical and cytotoxic spills promptly, thoroughly, and effectively.

We also stock absorbent floor mats for better fluid management during procedures. Capable of absorbing up to 8.5 litres of water and 3.5 litres of saline, they gel liquids and become dry to the touch. So they immediately remove slipping hazards in surgical environments. And following the procedure, you can simply dispose of them, allowing for faster cleaning and swifter turnaround times.

Infection & Contamination Hazards for Nurses

Nurses work very closely with both staff and patients, and they regularly provide support during treatments and procedures. So there’s a constant risk of infection from coughs, sneezes, and other bodily fluids. And if nurses become contaminated, there’s the risk they’ll pass on these infections to other, more vulnerable patients.

But these aren’t the only infection and contamination risks in healthcare settings. Nurses must also consider bacteria, viruses and other organisms lingering on clothing and surfaces; VOCs and other chemicals; particulate matter from outside sources; and radiation from certain devices and procedures.

The Solution

Standard infection control precautions can help nurses and other healthcare workers prevent and control infection risks at all levels. Precautions include thorough cleaning protocols and procedures; standards for PPE; good hand hygiene; cough and sneeze etiquette, and more.

Air quality consultations can also help nurses identify the sort of infection and contamination risks they might face, and the measures they can take to overcome them.

Finally, hospital-grade air purifiers can remove many of the common contaminants and harmful substances found in hospital air, including viruses, bacteria, microplastics, VOCs, particulate matter, and more. Our range of air purifiers for the healthcare sector can catch up to 99.97% of particles down to 0.1 microns.

Heavy Lifting in Healthcare Settings

Heavy lifting is another occupational risk that’s found in almost all healthcare settings. But once again, the risk for nurses can be particularly high. This is due to the sorts of items and objects that nurses might be required to move, from vulnerable patients to expensive and delicate medical devices.

Nurses risk sprains and back injuries whenever they move heavy objects. But if they struggle and falter while moving a vulnerable patient, there’s a risk of concussion, broken bones, or even death.

The Solution

Adequate training in safe lifting techniques can help nurses manage these risks. Hospitals and healthcare settings should also have procedures and protocols in place for moving vulnerable patients. These might include using wheelchairs, stretchers and trolleys wherever possible, and never attempting to move a patient without assistance.

Stress and Exhaustion

There’s no denying that nursing is a tough job. Nurses face life and death situations every day. They work long hours while under considerable pressure, and often for insufficient pay. And as the NHS is currently facing a treatment backlog and a series of strikes and industrial action, it seems like things have never been more difficult for nurses and other healthcare workers.

All of this pressure is going to take its toll. Stress and exhaustion can be harmful in itself. But in the long-term, constant stress and exhaustion can lead to a number of other more serious health conditions.

The Solution

Government plans to tackle the NHS backlog might reduce some of the pressures that nurses face in their roles. But even without the current issues the NHS faces, stress and exhaustion have been occupational hazards in the healthcare sector for years.

The Health Foundation issues a series of recommendations for fixing some of the problems the NHS is currently facing. They suggested that increasing staff numbers could increase hospitals’ capacity, which could mean shorter working hours and reduced workloads for nurses. They also suggested on-the-job mental health and wellbeing support for healthcare staff.

Addressing Occupational Health Hazards for Nurses

From spill kits to infection control services, we offer a range of products and solutions that will help you address many of the occupational health hazards nurses face.

Get in touch to discuss how we can help you make your healthcare setting safer and more efficient for staff and patients alike.