Occupational exposure to blood and other bodily fluids


What is it about ?

In the practice of certain professions, contact with blood or other bodily fluids is unavoidable. Take, for example, doctors, dentists, nurses and tattoo artists.

A needle or any other instrument contaminated with blood, blood splashes on mucous membranes (mouth, eyes) or even bites are all possible sources of contact with the blood of another person, leading to the risk of contamination by certain viruses, the most important of which are hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

This risk of contamination can be avoided by sufficiently protecting practitioners working with groups at risk, through adequate training in hygiene measures and, if possible, in vaccination.

There is a vaccine for hepatitis B, but not for hepatitis C or HIV.

What is its frequency?

Sting injuries occur regularly: according to Sciensano, the former scientific institute of public health, in Belgium there were 10.1 accidental contacts with blood per 100 hospital beds on average each year between 2003 and 2005.

When the source is contaminated, there is a 5% to 25% risk of hepatitis B infection from a needle stick or cut, depending on the stage of infection. The risk of transmission of the contamination is 1% to 5% for the hepatitis C virus and 0.3% to 0.4% for the hepatitis C virus. HIV.

How to recognize it?

Accidental contact with blood is understood to mean all accidents linked to stings (with sharp objects), bite accidents, projection or scratching.

How is the diagnosis made?

The doctor will take blood samples from the source of infection (if possible) and from the person exposed at the time of the accident. He will usually do another check after 1, 3 and 6 months. The interval of new blood samples depends on the risk of infection. The determination is based on the blood values ​​at the source of the infection.

Samples from the exposed person are collected by the occupational health service.

Depending on the situation and the blood results, the doctor will take other measures if necessary (see below).

What can you do ?

Avoid accidental contact with blood. Use gloves (and if necessary a mask to avoid injury by splashing), handle sharp objects or needles with care and dispose of them safely in a suitable container.

Rinse the wound with plenty of water if it comes into contact with blood or other bodily fluids. In the event of a bite accident, allow the wound to bleed, and wash the injured area with soap and water. Then rinse the wound with alcohol. Rinse the affected mucous membranes (eg eyes) with plenty of water.

Then immediately contact a doctor who is competent to treat accidental contact with blood. The doctor then determined the procedure to be followed.

What can your doctor do?

When exposed to hepatitis B, a distinction is made between workers who have been vaccinated against hepatitis B and those who are not. Unvaccinated workers receive antibodies to hepatitis B for 24 hours. They provide immediate protection. Hepatitis B vaccination is then started. If workers have been vaccinated and there is evidence of sufficient protection with hepatitis B antibodies, no further action is required.

There is no vaccine that protects against hepatitis C. The doctor will re-examine the person for hepatitis C antibodies 1, 3 and 6 months after exposure.

In the event of exposure to HIV with a real risk of infection, consideration should be given to post-exposure treatment (TPE, also called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)) against the HIV. This treatment should be started as soon as possible, at most within 72 hours.

As it is not possible to detect the HIV directly, the doctor will test the person every two months for up to six months after exposure. During this time of uncertainty, it is best to use a condom to avoid infecting your partner.

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