#18 in a series

Practicing proper infection control procedures is the responsibility of every student, staff and faculty member with clinical responsibilities. With the fast-paced nature of the clinical environment, it is sometimes easy to overlook basic infection control policies. To help raise awareness about these issues, we've created this series of infection control reminders and pointers. For questions about infection control policies or more information, contact the School of Dentistry's Director of Health and Safety, Dr. Molly Newlon at: newlonm@dentistry.ucsf.edu.

Accidents can happen! Managing Exposures to Blood and Body Fluids

Exam and surgical gloves do not protect against sharps injuries. Unexpected spills and splashes of contaminated materials may expose eyes and other mucous membranes to infectious materials.

Treat exposures as medical emergencies:

• Perform basic first aid to cleanse wound or affected area. Spraying the skin with surface disinfectant is NOT recommended.
  
  
• Report injury IMMEDIATELY to your supervisor/infection control coordinator. Include information on how and when the exposure happened, the patient's bloodborne health status, and your vaccination history, if appropriate.
  
  
• Follow instructions for obtaining immediate and appropriate medical evaluation.
  
  
• Sharps Injury Hotline at UCSF: Page 719-3898 (24 hours)

Best regards,

Charles N. Bertolami, DDS, DMedSc

Dean