Infection Control · single question
A clinician sustains a needlestick injury. The correct immediate response is to:
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Correct answer: A. Wash the wound, report/document the incident, and follow the post-exposure protocol
- A. Correct. Standard sharps-injury management is to wash the area, document/report the incident, and initiate the institution's post-exposure evaluation protocol.
- B. Incorrect. Tourniquets and aggressive squeezing are not recommended and can cause further injury.
- C. Incorrect. Any sharps injury should be cleansed and documented per protocol.
- D. Incorrect. Cauterization is harmful and not part of needlestick management.
Note: If the needle had not yet contacted the patient, there was no bloodborne exposure — but the wound is still cleansed and the event documented per protocol.
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