What is the required protocol for dealing with a sharps injury?
Dealing with a ‘needlestick or sharps’ injury Administer appropriate first aid for any bleeding or embedded object. Gain assistance from a first aid attendant as required. Wash the wound or skin sites thoroughly with soap and water or use a waterless cleanser or antiseptic if water is unavailable.
How do dentists prevent sharps injury?
Steps for remaining ‘sharps safe’ are summarised below.
- Avoid leaving sharps lying around;
- Avoid re-sheathing any used needles/razors;
- Do not bend/break needles before discarding them;
- Place contaminated sharps/razors in disposal containers approved to BS 7320:1990, immediately after use;
How many steps are usually involved in the sharps injury protocol?
There are 5 steps to a sharps risk assessment, these are: Identify the hazards. Decide who might be harmed and how. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions.
What should you do immediately after a needlestick injury?
Emergency Sharps Information
- 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.
What is the needlestick policy?
Aim of Policy This policy is intended to ensure all sharps/needles are risk assessed and where reasonably practicable replaced by a safety device in order to reduce the risk of exposure to blood borne viruses and transmission of these infections following needlestick or other exposures.
How do you manage a blood spillage in dental surgery?
Bodily Fluid Spillage Procedure
- Inform all staff and patients in the immediate vicinity that a spillage has occurred.
- Ventilate the area.
- Notify the Registered Manager (HTM 01-05)
- Display hazard notices.
- Remove unaffected mobile equipment from the immediate area, ensuring that the spillage is easily accessible for cleaning.
How can needle stick injury be prevented in dentistry?
Prevention steps include:
- Avoid the use of needles where safe and effective alternatives are available.
- Help your employer select and evaluate devices with safety features that reduce the risk of needle stick injury.
- Use devises with safety features provided by your employer.
- Avoid recapping needles.
What 4 things should you do following a sharps injury?
What to do if you receive a sharps injury
- Encourage the wound to gently bleed, ideally holding it under running water.
- Wash the wound using running water and plenty of soap.
- Don’t scrub the wound while you are washing it.
- Don’t suck the wound.
- Dry the wound and cover it with a waterproof plaster or dressing.
What are the primary priorities to eliminate sharps injuries?
There is a hierarchy of priorities for sharps injury prevention. The first priority is to eliminate and reduce the use of needles and other sharps wherever possible. The next priority is to isolate the hazards and thereby protect otherwise exposed sharps, through the use of engineering controls.
What action should you take following a needlestick injury?
Take reasonable care and follow these steps:
- Wash the area gently with soap and running tap water as soon as possible.
- Apply an antiseptic and a clean dressing.
- Obtain prompt medical advice from your local doctor or hospital emergency department, preferably within 24 hours.
- Dispose of the needle safely.
How to minimize the risk of sharps injuries?
Dental practices can minimize the risk of sharps injuries by avoiding the following safety hazards: Not having the proper procedures in place, including step-by-step instrument management and instrument processing protocols. Working in a high volume dental setting with insufficient time allotted for treatment room turnaround.
What are the risks of sharps in dentistry?
She has held positions in corporate as well as academic dentistry and continues to contribute to the scientific literature. Dental professionals face a constant risk of sharps injuries and exposure to bloodborne pathogens, especially during the delivery of patient care.
What do you need to know about sharps management?
Sharps management is an important component of a dental practice. A sharp is anything that can pierce skin, this includes, needles, scalpel blades, anesthetic carpules, orthodontic wires, etc. All practices using sharps are liable for their proper containment and ultimate disposal.
What’s the difference between medical sharps and unprotected Sharps?
The employer must substitute traditional unprotected medical sharps with a ‘safer sharp’ where it reasonably practicable to do so. The term ‘safer sharp’ means medical sharps that incorporate features or mechanisms to prevent or minimise the risk of accidental injury.
