[MCOH-EH] Prions

[Warner Hudson]

You may want to look at UCSF prion protocols as Stanley Prusiner who discovered them and got a Nobel for this was doing the original research at UCSF. https://infectioncontrol.ucsfmedicalcenter.org/sites/g/files/tkssra4681/f/Sec%204.2%20Human%20Prion%20Policy_FINAL%2003-2022.pdf
I will add that when I was at UCLA our IC doc thought the UCSF protocols were too much.

T Warner Hudson MD FACOEM FAAFP 
Associate Clinical Professor 
Occupational and Environmental Medicine 
UC Irvine 


Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 17, 2025, at 8:53 PM, Max Blumberg <maxjblumberg at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi MCOH team, 
> 
> We recently had an unusual situation with a sharps exposure to prion-like agglutinating proteins in a research lab that led us to revisit our prion exposure policy. Historically our university lab safety team has recommended submersion of a sharps-exposed hand in 4% NaOH for 2 minutes followed by copious flushing with water. Our hospital infection prevention team has raised the question whether this is a wise recommendation given the caustic potential of the strong base and the lack of published guidelines with such a recommendation or published cases of occupational sharps exposure leading to prion illness. Any advice at other institutions is appreciated!
> 
> Max
> 
> --
> Max Blumberg, MD, MPH
> UCSF Associate Medical Director Occupational Health Services
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