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Health, Safety and Environment

Healthcare Workers’ Responsibilities and Management of Bloodborne Pathogen Exposures (5-STIX)

Stuck or Splashed? If Exposed Call the Hotline Numbers…

Employees shall wash hands and any other skin with soap and water, or flush mucous membranes with water immediately or as soon as feasible following contact of such body areas with blood or other potentially infectious materials.

  • East Baltimore campus: 5-STIX or 410-955-STIX (7849) 24hr/7days a week hotline
  • Homewood and Wyman Park campuses: Occupational Health (443-997-1700) during office-hours and Security (410-516-7777) during off-hours.
  • Bayview: Bayview employees and JHU employees at the Bayview campus call Bayview Employee Health (410-550-0477)
  • Howard Co. Hospital: Hopkins and BSI employees, 5-STIX or 410-955-STIX (7849) 24hr/7days a week hotline or report to Employee Health (410-740-3838) during office hours and call the Nursing Supervisor’s office (443-718-2424). 
  • Suburban Hospital: Employee Health (301-896-3167) during office hours and page the Nursing Supervisor on pager #108 during off-hours

Important Notice: When accessing the “5-STIX” line it is necessary to listen to the entire one minute message and then page the on-call specialist at the number provided in the message.  The “5-STIX” specialist or Clinic Staff will call back within 15 minutes of receiving the call.  The “5-STIX” service is completely confidential and free of charge.  Every attempt will be made to identify the HIV, HBV and HCV status of the source individual in order to avoid unnecessary testing, as well as prescribing the appropriate prophylactic regimen.

Click here to fill out STIX Report Form.

Note: The Occupational Injury Clinic launched a new online web-form for reporting Low Risk Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Incidents (CDC Link). This web-form is available anytime and from anywhere if you are an employee of the JHMI/JHU working on the East Baltimore campus and have been accidentally exposed to a low risk potentially infectious body fluids.

The goal of this web-form is to provide employees with a convenient mechanism of reporting the incident during their busy schedules and will improve reporting compliance as well. The website will NOT replace the 5-STIX hotline that is available 24 hours a day for employees needing assistance and counseling. This form does not apply to individuals who sustain an animal related pathogen exposure. Any work-related injury/accident still requires you to complete, sign and submit an Incident Report separately.

Policy

Johns Hopkins University and Hospital Safety Policy (HSE Policy 501) require that any employee or staff member who sustains a bloodborne pathogen exposure must report the incident immediately to the “5-STIX” Hotline (410-955-7849). Advice and counsel regarding the bloodborne pathogen exposure, as well as a prescription for any medication necessary to mitigate the exposure will be provided immediately by the Infectious Disease Specialist on-call or Occupational Injury Clinic Staff Member (East Baltimore Campus) or Occupational Health Services Staff Member (Bayview and Homewood Campuses).

Post-Exposure Evaluation & Follow-Up Procedures

  1. If any JHI employee's eye, mouth, mucous membrane, non-intact skin or parenteral surface comes into contact with blood or other potentially infectious material, this "exposure incident" must be reported by calling immediately the exposure hotline, (410) 955-STIX [410-955-7849] at the East Baltimore Campus, (443) 997-1700 during office hours and (410) 516-7777 during off hours at the Homewood Campus, and (410) 550-0477 at the for JHU/JHH employees at the Bayview Campus in order to secure medical advisement and initiate evaluation procedures. When the Occupational Injury Clinic is closed, a detailed message will direct the healthcare worker to the Infectious Disease Specialist on call.
  2. The exposure must also be reported to the exposed person's supervisor or director immediately (HSE Policy 004). The supervisor/director and the employee will promptly complete the Report of Incident form. The employee must take this report and be evaluated at the Occupational Injury Clinic/Occupational Health Services Clinic on their campus.
     
  3. All exposed JHI employees will be offered any necessary post-exposure evaluation, treatment, and follow-up free of charge.
     
  4. Attempts will be made to identify the source individual after exposure. Upon consent, the source individual's blood will be tested for HIV, HBV, HCV and Herpes B virus as soon as possible and in accordance with current state and local laws.
     
  5. In the event the exposure occurred from a non-human primate, all applicable areas are to be stocked with a Monkey Splash/Injury Kit. The location of the building is to be recorded, the type of monkey, the 10 number of the monkey that caused the exposure, and Animal Services is to be notified.
     
  6. An individual may refuse blood collection and testing. An individual may also consent to blood collection, but refuse testing. In this case, the blood sample will be held for 90 days to allow time for the individual to elect for testing. The HIV Laboratory will be responsible for maintaining the blood sample during this 90-day period.
     
  7. The test results for both the individual and the source patient are confidential medical information and will be handled accordingly.
     
  8. An occupational health professional will provide the exposed individual with a written opinion regarding the individual's vaccination status and post-exposure evaluation within 15 days of a review of all test results and medical records.
     
  9. HBV immune globulin and/or HBV vaccine and/or Herpes B post-exposure prophylaxis will be offered to exposed individuals when indicated. HIV post-exposure prophylaxis will be offered when indicated after discussion of potential risks and benefits.
     
  10. Department management must assess the circumstances surrounding the incident and take appropriate remedial action, including initiating modifications of the physical environment and providing instruction regarding proper work practices where appropriate.
     
  11. All needlestick incidents will be investigated by the Department of Health, Safety, and Environment to determine the type of sharp involved, how the incident occurred, and if any corrective actions need to be implemented.