ExposureHotline

The Occupational Exposure Hotline offers advanced technology and over 1200 CDC protocols to provide and document medical counseling to healthcare workers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other employees immediately at the critical time of exposure to blood or bodily fluids, communicable diseases or environmental exposures, including pandemics and bioterrorism.

A specially trained exposure hotline nurse will complete a risk assessment while evaluating blood and body fluid exposures to determine the need for surveillance, counseling and Post Exposure Prophylactic medications based on CDC guidelines.

Because individual exposure incidents are so unique, each exposure situation must be evaluated on an individual basis.

Example - Bodily Fluids
Recommendations are derived by determining if exposure to the body fluid in question, is potentially infectious for transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B & C, as well as if there is a port of entry for the infectious fluid to enter the body. Certain recommendations may also be influenced by the employee’s immunization status.

The surveillance recommendations include laboratory testing for certain blood borne pathogens. These pathogens may potentially be transmitted through exposure to an infectious bodily fluid. Immunization titers are also evaluated to determine the need for vaccination updates.

The counseling guidelines educate exposed employees regarding how to decrease the risk of transmission to other persons, should they contract a disease through the exposure. The need for HIV PEP medications is determined by evaluation of the source medical and social history, so that appropriate medication recommendations can be provided to the employee.
The Exposure Hotline provides a supportive environment to ensure Occupational health, safety and well being in the workplace.