I wrote the original protocol when working at UCSF. It was written for and in consultation with the Prusiner Lab. The protocol was not written by UCSF OEM. A long story. I was hired to work with the Communicable Disease Prevention Program and later EH&S
to address numerous deficiencies on the part of the Parnassus OEM clinic. I have thrown out most of my files from this era but will look for whatever may remain.
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
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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
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Max Blumberg, MD, MPH
UCSF Associate Medical Director Occupational Health Services