Dentaltown March 2013 - (Page 30)

infection control message board Needle Stick Message Boards These two message boards explore the OSHA safety regulations regarding needle stick incidences. Dentaltown.com > Message Boards > Regulations > Infection Control > Needle Stick Question joeyzzb Member Since: 10/03/04 Post: 1 of 10 t Needle Stick Question Employee stuck herself with an endo file upon cleaning up the operatory after a root canal – very slight stick, but did cause a bit of bleeding. I didn’t use the file on the patient – it was a 15 file. I only used files from 20 on up… but it was soaking in the same bleach solution as the other files. It was in one of those file holders with gauze at the top and bleach solution inside. Anyway, number one, I don’t really consider this an exposure incident as far as her getting exposed to anything infectious but I could be wrong legally. She is getting tested tomorrow (within 24 hours). She does not want me to ask the patient to get tested. Am I required to? Patient had left before I had a chance to ask. Am I required to even call this an exposure incident if I don’t believe it was? No blood on file, not used in tooth. Also, patient is a minor, so I imagine I would call his mom. What a pain. n FEB 17 2011 lesliecanham Member Since: 04/13/03 Post: 2 of 10 File was not used on patient but was co-mingled with files that were used – still an exposure incident. While her chance of transmission of HIV, HCV are lower than HBV, there is still possibility of bloodborne pathogen exposure. There is also the possibility of other types of infection such as staph. Your assistant and her health-care provider will determine how to proceed regarding post-exposure prophylaxis. Regardless, it is still an exposure incident and you must fill out your OSHA documentation describing the accident. It will only take you a few minutes and you can find the forms in your OSHA manual under accidental bodily fluid exposure. Also, you must fill out a sharps injury log. You will receive a written opinion of the MD, which will not have test results, only whether your employee received a Hep B vaccination and was advised to return for further treatment or testing. You must give a copy of this report to your assistant and keep a copy of all of these forms for the duration of employment plus 30 years. Better to dot your I’s and cross your T’s now and do everything that OSHA requires in this situation. Let me know how else I can help you. n FEB 17 2011 Dr Daisy Member Since: 03/24/04 Post: 3 of 10 I am no expert on this, so this is more of a question, I guess. It was not used on the patient and it was soaking in bleach. In my mind, based on what I know about pathogens, ain’t nothing gonna get her from that. Bleach kills HIV, and all that other bad stuff, no? Enlighten me… n FEB 17 2011 lesliecanham Member Since: 04/13/03 Post: 4 of 10 The bleach is probably going to prevent the file from being infectious, but who knows for sure? My concern is that the employer follows OSHA regulations. The employee has been referred to a health-care provider and the health-care provider’s job continued on page 32 30 MARCH 2013 » dentaltown.com http://www.Dentaltown.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown March 2013

Dentaltown.com Highlights
Howard Speaks: Dentistry Could Come Back with a Vengeance
Professional Courtesy: I’m No Anti-Dentite
Continuing Education Update
Second Opinion: Should Endodontists Place Implants?
Needle Stick Question
Am I the Only One Who Didn’t Know How to Use My Loupes?
The Patient Blames Me for Cracking His Tooth
Corporate Profile: {KöR}
CAD/CAM Materials
Dentaltown Research: Cosmetic Dentistry
Do-it-Yourself Finance, Part IV: Savings and Investing
Product Profile: Centrix
Keep Them Coming Back
You Should Know: Likeable Dentists
Multimodality Endodontics
Endodontics for the Recent Graduate: Instrumentation
Continuing Education Porcelain Veneers: From Case Selection to Cementation
8½ Tips for Dental Safety Checklists
How Prepared Are You For a Medical Emergency?
Dental Stem Cell Preservation and the Dawning of Regenerative Oral Medicine
Product Profile: Ivoclar EvoCerem
Narrow Diameter Implant Overdentures with Locator Attachments
In This Issue: Zeroing in on Xerostomia
Perio Reports
Ad Index
Profile in Oral Health: Substances for Targeting Xerostomia
Dentally Incorrect

Dentaltown March 2013