A resident physician sustains a percutaneous needlestick injury with a used hollow-bore needle after drawing blood from a newly admitted patient. The patient's infectious disease status is currently unknown. Arrange the following steps in the correct chronological order for the management of this occupational exposure, from the immediate first action to the final management step.
- 1Wash the affected area immediately with soap and water.
- 2Notify the occupational health department or nursing supervisor.
- 3Obtain consent to test the source patient for HIV, HBV, and HCV.
- 4Administer post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) within 1 to 2 hours, if indicated.
Cevap
The correct sequence is: Wash the wound, notify occupational health, test the source patient, and then administer PEP if indicated.
According to CDC guidelines for occupational exposures, the management of a needlestick injury follows a strict chronological sequence. The immediate first step is local wound care, specifically washing the site with soap and water. Once first aid is complete, the healthcare worker must promptly report the incident to occupational health or a supervisor to activate the institutional protocol. Following reporting, the source patient should be approached for consent to undergo rapid testing for bloodborne pathogens (HIV, HBV, HCV) to assess the actual transmission risk. Finally, if the source patient is positive or their status remains unknown but they are high-risk, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) should be initiated as soon as possible, ideally within 1 to 2 hours of the exposure.
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Anahtar Kavram
Management of Occupational Needlestick Exposures