Emergency Needlestick Information

If you experienced a needlestick or sharps injury or were exposed to the blood or other body fluid of a patient during the course of your work, immediately follow these steps:

• Wash needlesticks and cuts with soap and water
• Flush splashes to the nose, mouth, or skin with water
• Irrigate eyes with clean water, saline, or sterile irrigants
• Report the incident to your supervisor
• Immediately seek medical treatment

Recommendations for the management of occupational exposures to blood:
MMWR Recommendations and Reports, Volume 50, Number RR-11 Updated U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to HBV, HCV, and HIV and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis (PDF format, 329 KB)
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5011.pdf

If you have questions about appropriate medical treatment for occupational exposures, 24 hour assistance is available from the Clinicians' Post Exposure Prophylaxis Hotline (PEPline) at
1-888-448-4911
http://www.ucsf.edu/hivcntr