Bloodborne Pathogens

Had a needlestick or blood exposure accident? Don’t panic!

If you experience a needlestick, sharps injury, or contact with blood/OPIM (other potentially infectious materials), act immediately:

1. Wash the punctures or cuts with soap and water, flush splashes to nose, mouth or skin with water, and irrigate eyes with clear water or saline for at least 15 minutes. Do not scrub, squeeze or milk a cut.
2. Report incident to your preceptor, patient’s supervising provider, or your clinical rotations facility’s employee health office.
3. Seek medical evaluation right away. Evaluations for BBP exposure are most effective when post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) begin as soon as possible.

Where To Go:

• If the incident occurred outside the Western University campus, please see a Healthcare Provider immediately at the nearest medical facility of your choice (i.e., urgent care, local hospital, or your healthcare provider). Make sure the Healthcare Provider orders the necessary laboratory tests (listed below). Please submit your laboratory test results via fax to (909) 706-3785.
• If the incident occurred at the Western University campus, you may see a Healthcare Provider and obtain the necessary laboratory tests (below) at the WesternU Health Medical Center located on the 2nd Floor. Please call them first at 909-865-2565 to let them know that you are checking in without an appointment because of the incident. If you are unable to arrive at WesternU Medical Center by 4:00 pm, or they’re unable to see you for any reason, please go to the nearest medical facility of your choice immediately (i.e., urgent care, local hospital, or your healthcare provider). Make sure the Healthcare Provider orders the necessary laboratory tests (listed below). Please submit your laboratory test results as soon as you received them via fax to (909) 706-3785.

The clinical rotation facility’s employee health office, patient’s supervising provider, or your preceptor should request consent from the source person to be tested. The source person’s laboratory results can be faxed to (909) 706-3785, with their personal information redacted. If the lab reports cannot be forwarded for any reason, a signed and dated note is sufficient. This note must be from a Provider, Registered Nurse, or the facility’s health office, and must indicate that the source person is clear of all bloodborne pathogens. Student/Employee Health Office (SEHO) will send email reminders to retest if we don’t receive the required documentation.

Laboratory Tests to Obtain:

• Hepatitis B Surface Antibody Quantitative (HBs Ab QN)

• Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBs Ag)

• Hepatitis B core Antibody total

• Hepatitis C Antibody with Reflex HCV RNA

• HIV 1/2 Antigen & Antibody with Reflex (4^th generation)

If you have not done so already, submit an Incident Report at your earliest convenience. Log in to the Incident Report using your WesternU credentials. Do not include “@westernu.edu” in the username.

Your health insurance is primary and must be billed first for medical expenses you incurred as a direct result of the incident. If there is a remaining balance after your insurance has paid its portion of the claim (if any), the University’s excess student accident insurance will be billed as secondary coverage for medical expenses you incur as a direct result of your incident. Coverage is subject to all policies and conditions. For secondary insurance inquiry, please contact the Office of Risk Management at risk@westernu.edu or call (909) 469-5452.

Should you have any questions, please call Student/Employee Health Office (SEHO) at (909) 706-3830 or email stu-emphealth@westernu.edu.