Bloodborne pathogens are viruses and bacteria that can be transmitted through blood. These pathogens include hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), and other diseases. In the healthcare industry, healthcare workers must take special precautions when dealing with bloodborne pathogens because they have higher risks of exposure than other people. Follow these guidelines to help keep yourself and others safe:
Do not eat, drink or smoke in areas where bloodborne pathogens may be present.
When handling bloodborne pathogens, you should not eat, drink or smoke in areas where they may be present. You should also avoid sharing food or drinks with others.
When eating out of the same container as another person, use separate eating utensils and don't share personal items such as toothbrushes or combs that could contain bloodborne pathogens on them--particularly if they have been used by someone who has been exposed to bloodborne pathogen infection (e.g., HIV).
If you are going to smoke while working with patients who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS or other infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B or C virus (HBV/HCV), make sure that there is no chance for any of the smoke from your cigarette being inhaled by anyone else in the area before lighting up! If there is any doubt about whether this could happen then please don't smoke at all during these procedures; instead, wait until after work hours when everyone else has gone home for the day so no one else will be exposed unnecessarily!
Always wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before leaving work and after any contact with body fluids that may contain bloodborne pathogens.
- Always wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before leaving work and after any contact with body fluids that may contain bloodborne pathogens.
- Do not use hand sanitizer as it does not kill all types of germs.
- Do not use antibacterial soap because it can cause allergic reactions in some people and also has been found to contribute to antibiotic resistance in microbes (bacteria). We recommend using plain soap and water for washing hands when cleaning up after handling blood or other potentially infectious material such as feces, vomit, or saliva from infected patients. If there isn't a sink nearby but you need to clean up fast before leaving the room where someone has vomited on themselves, try wiping down surfaces first with paper towels and then washing later when you can get back into an area where there are sinks available for proper hand washing techniques. Wear protective gear, such as gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection, if instructed by your employer or supervisor to do so.
If you are working with bloodborne pathogens, it is important that you know what type of protective gear is appropriate for the situation. You should always follow the instructions given by your employer or supervisor.
If they do not provide this information, ask them what type of protective gear is required when handling bloodborne pathogens. If they do not answer your questions or provide appropriate safety equipment, then there may be a problem with their awareness of how important it is for workers to be safe when working around these types of materials.
Follow all other safety rules regarding bloodborne pathogens according to your workplace's policy and procedures.
Follow all other safety rules regarding bloodborne pathogens according to your workplace's policy and procedures.
- Don't share needles or other equipment.
- Don't share personal items, such as razors or toothbrushes.
- Avoid kissing, hugging or shaking hands with anyone who has a bloodborne illness. Do not donate blood or organs if you have been exposed to any type of human tissue that could contain hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), or HIV/AIDS because it will be infected with these deadly diseases and could possibly kill someone else if they receive it during surgery or through some other means like organ transplants, etc.. The most common types of pathogenic microorganisms include:
- Bacteria - Neisseria meningitides (meningitis), Streptococcus pneumoniae ("pneumonia"), Haemophilus influenzae type B ("Hib"), Staphylococcus aureus ("staph")
- Viruses - Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)/2(HIV-2); Hepatitis B Virus (HBV); Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)
It's important for healthcare workers to follow special precautions when dealing with bloodborne pathogens.
It's important for healthcare workers to follow special precautions when dealing with bloodborne pathogens.
Why? Because if you don't, you could be at risk of getting a serious disease like Hepatitis B or HIV.
Who is responsible for following these procedures? It depends on your role in the hospital. If you're an administrator, then it's on you (and your team) to make sure that all policies are followed by everyone in the organization. If you're a nurse or doctor who treats patients directly, then those policies will apply specifically to what happens in their treatment room(s). Your immediate supervisor should also help ensure compliance with any rules related specifically to their department's work processes; this may include providing training sessions about how best practices should be carried out within different areas of care (e.,g., emergency room vs intensive care unit).
Conclusion
It's important for healthcare workers to follow special precautions when dealing with bloodborne pathogens. You can protect yourself from these infections by following the steps outlined above. If you want more information on how to stay safe.