Emergency and Urgent Care - What to do if you are exposed to human blood

You have attended our Emergency Department today because you may have come into contact with someone else’s blood.

This can happen because of injury from a needle, a bite injury or by another person’s blood coming into contact with your eyes or mouth (e.g.spitting).

We understand that this may cause anxiety and worry about potential infections that can be passed on by contact with blood.

You have been seen by a clinician and your risk of getting these infections (also known as Blood Borne Viruses or BBVs) has been assessed using Trust and National Guidelines.

What are Blood Borne Viruses?

These are viruses that can be caught by coming into direct contact with an infected person’s blood. The viruses that we test for are:

• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C and
• HIV

Urine, faeces and vomit do not carry any risk of BBVs therefore you will not require treatment or follow-up from exposure to this.

HIV

• It is very rare to get HIV from an injury with a discarded needle or from blood that comes into contact with eyes or mouth
• If your risk has been assessed as low you do not need any medicines
• If your risk has been assessed as high, you will be started on medicines known as post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (PEP). This is to reduce the risk of getting the virus. You will be given a separate information leaflet and it is important that you follow the instructions carefully. Please contact the Sexual Health Clinic as soon as you can and make an appointment to see the clinic doctor. This is to continue your treatment
• These drugs will not stop the possible transmission of Hepatitis B or C

Hepatitis B

• Hepatitis B is a virus that affects the liver and can cause liver damage
• The chance of contracting Hepatitis B from a discarded needle is higher than HIV and Hepatitis C
• Out of 100 people who injure themselves on a needle used by a person who has hepatitis B, 30 are at risk of getting it
• You will be started on a course of vaccinations against Hepatitis B (unless you are already vaccinated)
• You will be given the first vaccine in the Emergency Department and it is important that you contact your GP to finish the course (you will need a repeat vaccine in 1 and 2 months’ time and a booster at 12 months)

Hepatitis C

• This virus also affects the liver and can cause long term liver damage
• Out of 100 people who injure themselves on a needle used by a person who has hepatitis C, 3 people are at risk of getting it
• There is no vaccination available for Hepatitis C and there are no drugs available to prevent transmission. You will have to be tested for this in 3 months and 6 months’ time

Will I get a blood test?

• Your blood will have been taken to test for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. This is to see if you have been infected before the incident, as this could change your treatment. You will need to have these blood tests repeated at 3 months and 6 months
• You should contact your GP for the results of your test
• If you have been referred to the Sexual Health Clinic, you will get the results of your test at your follow-up appointments

What should I do now?

You must contact the Sexual Health Clinic if you have been started on medicines to prevent HIV transmission (see contacts below). Please do this as soon as possible.

You will be given the full course of 28 days of medication from the emergency department, however it is essential that you attend the sexual health clinic to obtain the results of your initial blood tests and for advice regarding further follow up.

If you do not complete the course or miss any doses then the medication may not work.
 
Make an appointment with your GP.

You will need to be re-tested for these viruses in 3 and 6 months’ time and you will also need to complete your Hepatitis B vaccination course.

We recommend you follow the advice below until you have been formally cleared, to prevent any further spread of these viruses.

1. Practice safe sex – we recommend you or your partner use a condom to stop the risk of spread of any infection to your partner.
2. If you are planning to become pregnant; we recommend that you wait until you have been formally cleared from BBVs.
3. You should not donate blood until you have been cleared from BBVs.
4. If you are breastfeeding, we recommend you stop while you await to be cleared from BBVs completely as they can spread through breastmilk. Contact your health visitor who will advise what to do to maintain your milk supply until you have been cleared.

Contact details

Sexual Health Clinic - Shine at Salford, Goodman Centre, Lance Burn Health Centre, Churchill Way, Salford M6 5QX

To make a clinic appointment, please call reception on 0161 206 1099 or 0161 206 1094. Please make the appointment with a clinic doctor if you have been started on medicines to prevent HIV).

To speak to one off our clinic's health advisors, please ring 0161 206 1317 (Monday to Thursday).

You can write the date and time of any appointments here:

Date:

Time:

Appointments for Hepatitis B Vaccination (please book this with your GP)

1.
2.
3.

Appointments for my repeat blood tests (please book this with your GP)

3 month repeat blood test:
6 month repeat blood test:

For more information, you can visit:

NHS Choices – www.nhs.uk

You can always contact your GP for further advice. Emergency Medicine, Salford Royal Hospital - 0161 206 4841.