A hygienist gets a puncture wound from a used scaler during treatment. What is the most appropriate immediate first-aid step?

  • Correct answer

    Wash the wound with soap and water

  • Squeeze the wound to make it bleed

  • Soak the wound in diluted bleach

  • Cover it and finish the appointment before reporting it

This question is one of 15 in AFK practice: Prevention, infection control and ethics. Test yourself on all of them.

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Explanations

  • Immediately after a percutaneous exposure, the wound should be washed with soap and water, and the exposure reported right away so that a post-exposure evaluation can be done promptly. Squeezing the wound or applying caustic agents such as bleach has no proven benefit and may damage tissue.

    Source: CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings (2003) link — oneguy

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