Infectious bacteria that can infect people when found in human blood are known as bloodborne pathogens. The three primary illnesses that bloodborne pathogens may cause are hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. And we know nobody, including you, wants to develop these diseases. 

The next section will discuss bloodborne infections, their spread, and how to reduce exposure risk. 

Bloodborne Pathogens Transmission

Knowing how these infections spread is crucial for keeping us informed and safe, especially when working with blood or other bodily fluids. There are several ways that a bloodborne pathogen can be transmitted, and these will be revealed in the bloodborne pathogens training. The following are some ways that bloodborne pathogens may be transmitted:

• Direct contact

Direct contact occurs when infected blood and even bodily fluid from a person gets into the body of another at an appropriate entrance point, for when contaminated blood splashes in a person’s eye.

• Indirect contact 

Indirect contact occurs when a person’s skin makes contact with an object contaminated with the infected person’s blood or the fluids of a body, just like cleaning up used bandages.

• Transmission by respiratory droplets

Transmission occurs when persons inhale the droplets from the infected individual’s sneeze or cough. 

• A vector carries transmission

When a person’s skin is punctured by any infectious agent, just like insect bite, there is a potential to spread bloodborne infections.

Standard Safety Measures

One must take a bloodborne pathogens training course to acquire sufficient knowledge and experience about the system. Remember that every time there is a chance of coming into contact with blood or any other bodily fluids, bloodborne infections, and other illnesses can spread.

All blood and other bodily fluids must be handled with care and are considered potentially contagious due to these measures. Personal protective equipment, practice controls for work, engineering controls, and the right equipment for cleaning and the spill cleanup procedures are all examples of standard precautions. 

Infection Prevention

Follow these tips to prevent infections:

• Avoid coming into touch with bodily fluids like blood.
• When performing CPR, wear barriers for breathing, like respiration masks
• Always wear the disposable gloves when giving care, especially if you can touch blood or bodily fluids. If blood or other bodily fluids spill, and wear protective clothing, like a gown, mask, and sunglasses.
• Before wearing disposable gloves, cover cuts, scratches, or even sores and get rid of any jewelry, even rings.
• Before tending to a separate patient, wear new gloves.
• Dispose of gloves in a suitable container after removing them without touching the contaminated portion of the gloves.
• After giving care, wash hands and any other exposed skin immediately. If hand-washing tools are not accessible and your hands aren’t dirty, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Wherever possible, wash your hands thoroughly before assisting.

Exposure Risk Prevention

To lower the danger of exposure to bloodborne infections, use the following engineering and work practices:

• Use bags that are biohazards to dispose of infected items like old bandages and gloves.
• Put all filthy clothes in designated plastic bags to be cleaned or disposed of.
• Each container carrying dangerous items must have warning labels. 
• Put sharp objects, such as needles, in the sharps disposal container.

Enrolling in a bloodborne pathogens training course will help you discover new knowledge and put it to use in the business or the place of work. It would be the first measure in infection prevention. 

But, assuming you have already been exposed to bloodborne infections, read the next part to know some urgent precautions you may take.

First Aid for Pathogens Exposure

• Thoroughly wash any wounds, scrapes, or exposed skin in soap and water.
• Flush the area with water if it has been exposed to blood or other potentially contagious materials near the mouth or nose.
• If splashed in or near the eyes, wash for 20 minutes with sterile irrigants, saline solution, or clean water.
• Immediately inform the emergency medical services (EMS) workers who take over the treatment of the situation.
• Take notes about the incident by outlining what occurred. 
• Get prompt medical attention as directed by your employer’s exposure management strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How do you deal with pathogens? 

Strong medicines that combat bacterial illnesses are antibiotics, and they either eradicate or prevent bacteria from procreating, enabling the body’s defenses to eliminate infections. Antibiotics can save lives when used appropriately.

• What is the most common way to get bloodborne pathogens?

The body liquids or fluids of an infected individual must pass through the bloodstream of another person for a bloodborne pathogen to be transmitted. When blood from an infected individual enters the bloodstream of another person through an open wound, this is the most frequent way for transmission to occur in the workplace.

• What are the work practice controls for bloodborne pathogens?

Other work practice controls are outlined in the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. These controls include prohibiting eating, smoking, drinking, applying lip balm or any cosmetics, and even handling or wearing contact lenses in work environments where there is a high possibility of too much occupational exposure to body liquids.

The Bottom Line: What We Know

Human illnesses can be brought on by bloodborne pathogens, which include bacteria in bodily fluids like blood. These bloodborne pathogens can be transmitted to us at any time. And we want to avoid that happening. Therefore, always remember the standard safety measures to prevent the transmission of illnesses and bloodborne infections.