This policy is intended to provide students and employees with information concerning the Standard Precaution steps to deal with accidental needle sticks. This is the most frequent route of exposure to blood-borne pathogens. Students and employees will consult their health provider if testing and treatment become necessary.

All persons that are in the Health field must at least start having the Hepatitis vaccination series before working in the medical field.

1. Report all needle sticks immediately to your instructor or immediate supervisor.
2. Complete an incident report concerning the needle stick in the agency or college where the needle stick occurred. (The Texas Department of Health form is available with the Program Chairperson.)
3. Determine if the needle was clean or dirty.
4. A “clean” needle is one that did not come in contact with the patient. For example, a clean needle may be used to draw up medication from a multi-dose vial. Or you may have dropped the needle on the floor and then stuck yourself while trying to dispose of it.
5. Treatment for clean needle sticks include:
   1. a.) Tetanus prophylaxis booster (if you haven’t had one in 10 years)
   2. b.) Cleansing wound with antiseptic
   3. c.) Dressing if needed.
6. A “dirty” needle is one that came in contact with a patient or the patient’s attachments, i.e., piggyback needle from the IV tubing; a needle used for IM injection; or an IV style needle.
7. Treat steps for sticks by a dirty needle include:
   1. Clean the affected area immediately with antiseptic soap.
   2. Complete a needle stick incident report.
   3. Request that the identified patient be tested for Hepatitis B surface antigen and HIV antibodies (informed consent for HIV testing is required).
   4. Have your blood tested for Hepatitis B and HIV antibodies as soon as possible. This will provide you with valuable baseline values to compare with all future tests.
   5. Begin counseling concerning your treatment
   6. Begin drug treatment if necessary.
8. If baseline test for HIV is normal, you will need to be retested in the following manner: at 3 weeks, at 6 weeks, at 3 months, at 6 months, and at 1 year.
9. I f your serum converts (becomes HIV positive), begin treatment immediately, if this has not already been initiated.
10. Follow up testing for Hepatitis B antibody should occur 30 to 60 days after a needle stick. You will be observed for 1 year for clinical evidence of Hepatitis B, C, or D. If infection doesn’t occur in that time, follow-up is complete.