Sharps injury

In the event of a sharps injury it is essential that you adhere to the procedures given below.

Procedure	Rationale
Encourage bleeding from the wound	To help expel any foreign micro-organisms
Do not suck or rub the injury	Sucking will simply transfer the organism into your mouth and rubbing will assist in dispersion of the organism into the bloodstream and surrounding tissue
Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water	To help remove micro-organisms and clean the surrounding tissue to reduce the risk of infection
Cover the injury with an occlusive waterproof dressing	To reduce the risk of further infection and to protect others from cross-infection
Inform Occupational Health	They will document the incident in your personal records and arrange a blood sample for baseline tests should you develop any illness in future. If the client is known or thought to be HIV positive, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may be required. This is a combination of anti-viral drugs needs to be given within one hour of the incident. It is therefore essential that you are aware of and follow this procedure immediately following injury
Inform your line manager and complete the appropriate documentation	To ensure that the injury is reported and facilitates further risk assessment by your ward manager and those charged with the responsibility for risk assessment and management. Fully documenting the incident also provides evidence should there be any future investigation into the incident. Further information can be obtained from your local occupational health service