Which action is taken first after a sharps injury?

• A. Report incident
• B. Wash area
• C. Record in accident book
• D. Follow-up with occupational health

Answer: (B)

Immediate decontamination is the first priority after a sharps injury. Clean the area thoroughly with soap and running water as soon as possible to remove any contaminants and reduce infection risk. Avoid squeezing the wound or using strong antiseptics on the wound itself; the goal is to gently remove potential pathogens through washing. After this initial cleaning, report the incident to the supervisor and seek medical assessment with occupational health, and ensure the incident is recorded in the practice’s accident/incident log. Subsequent steps, such as risk assessment and post-exposure prophylaxis if indicated, follow the initial decontamination and reporting.