Immediate First Aid and Post-Exposure Support

After a sharps injury, immediate first aid comes first, then reporting and medical assessment. The injured person should not be expected to finish the session or be left to decide alone whether to report the incident.

Immediate first aid

• Encourage the wound to bleed gently under running water.
• Wash the area with soap and running water.
• Do not suck or scrub the wound.
• Cover the wound with a waterproof dressing.
• For splashes to eyes, nose, or mouth, irrigate with plenty of water.

After first aid, follow the practice reporting procedure and seek occupational health or urgent medical advice. Know the out-of-hours arrangements before an incident occurs. Medical advisers will assess the source, type of exposure, hepatitis B immunity, hepatitis C risk, HIV risk, baseline blood tests, follow-up testing, and whether HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is indicated.

Do not ignore the emotional impact. Even when the statistical risk is low, staff may feel shocked, embarrassed, anxious, or angry. The practice response should offer support and a fair review, not blame or pressure to continue working as if nothing happened.

What the dental nurse should not be expected to do

• Decide alone whether the injury is 'worth reporting'.
• Ask the source patient for testing without following the correct process.
• Handle confidential test results informally.
• Continue clinical work before first aid and urgent advice have been addressed.

Follow-up may include blood tests, hepatitis B advice, HIV PEP assessment, counselling, and repeat testing as determined by the risk assessment. The dental nurse must be given clear written instructions about who to contact, where to go, and what will happen next.

Hepatitis B, HIV PEP and source testing

A sharps injury response should start immediately. Reporting and medical advice are part of first aid, not optional paperwork.