Information about Bloodborne Pathogens for Health Professionals

Occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens from needlesticks and other sharps injuries is a serious problem, but it is often preventable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year 385,000 needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries are sustained by hospital-based healthcare personnel. Similar injuries occur in other healthcare settings, such as nursing homes, clinics, emergency care services, and private homes. Sharps injuries are primarily associated with occupational transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but they may be implicated in the transmission of more than 20 other pathogens.

On this page:
Preventing occupational exposures
Preventing patient exposures
Post-exposure prophylaxis
Guidelines
Reports

Preventing occupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens

It is the responsibility of both employers and employees to take steps to prevent the potential exposure of workers to bloodborne pathogens.

• Workbook for Designing, Implementing and Evaluating a Sharps Injury Prevention Program
  An effective sharps injury prevention program includes several components that must work in concert to prevent healthcare personnel from suffering needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries. This program plan is designed to integrate into existing performance improvement, infection control, and safety programs. CDC. Attention: Non-MDH link
  
  
• Worker Protection: Bloodborne Pathogens
  What employees need to know to protect themselves against exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Includes general information, guidelines and publications regarding worker protection from bloodborne pathogens. CDC. Attention: Non-MDH link
  
  
• CDC’s Office of Health and Safety
  Helpful information regarding the achievement of a safe and healthful work environment. CDC. Attention: Non-MDH link

Preventing patient exposure to bloodborne pathogens

• Patient Protection: Bloodborne Pathogens
  Protecting your patients against possible exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Includes information about sterilization and disinfection of medical devices, other guidelines, and publications regarding patient protection from bloodborne pathogens. CDC. Attention: Non-MDH link

Post-exposure prophylaxis for potential bloodborne pathogens exposures

Timely and appropriate management of potential bloodborne pathogen exposures is essential.

• Management of Occupational Exposures to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis
  This report updates and consolidates all previous U.S. Public Health Service recommendations for the management of health-care personnel who have occupational exposure to blood and other body fluids that might contain hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). CDC. Attention: Non-MDH link
  

Guidelines

• Emergency Medical Services Personnel Exposure Law
  • Emergency Medical Services Agency Version
  • Hospital Version
    
• Guidelines for Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel
  Guidelines for Infection Control in Health Care Personnel, 1998; as published in the American Journal of Infection Control. CDC Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. Attention: Non-MDH link
  
  
• Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis
  This report updates and consolidates all previous U.S. Public Health Service recommendations for the management of health-care personnel who have occupational exposure to blood and other body fluids that might contain hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). CDC. Attention: Non-MDH link
  

Reports

• Healthcare Safety Issues
  Government reports on patient safety; CDC. Attention: Non-MDH link

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