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Dracula's Worst Nightmare

Whether you work with blood daily or only see it in the occasional dramatic spill in the clinic hallway, universal precautions are not optional. They exist because pathogens don’t wear name tags, and you won’t always get a warning before exposure.

The Golden Rule:

Assume all human blood and bodily fluids are infectious.
Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV — they don’t announce themselves. This is why the CDC’s universal precautions were invented: to protect everyone, every time. No exceptions. Not for “just a small sample,” not because “this person looks healthy.”

Essential Practices:

Wear Double Gloves When Handling Samples.
Single gloves offer protection. Double gloves offer peace of mind. Bloodborne pathogens don’t care how experienced you are. Tears happen. Small breaches happen. Double up. Dispose properly.

Dispose of Anything Contaminated Correctly.
If it touches blood or potentially infectious materials, it goes into the biohazard bin. Not the recycling, not the trash, and definitely not on your lab manager’s desk. Sharps? Sharps container only. This isn’t just about keeping your space clean — it’s about preventing exposure to custodial staff, colleagues, and yourself.

Know Your Emergency Protocol.
If you don’t know where the eyewash station, emergency shower, or spill kits are, stop what you’re doing and find them. In an emergency, every second counts. Know the exposure protocols like you know the breakroom coffee machine.

POV: How HIV looks at an accidental cut caused the needle that I used to pop the 7,000 bubbles in my BCA:

POV: Lab managers when you report a cut:

If You’re Ever Exposed:

Report it. Immediately.
Even minor exposures — a splash, a cut, a needle prick — require documentation and follow-up. Your lab manager may be extra moody due to the amount of extra paperwork they'll have to fill out, but don't be afraid to inform them immediately. We promise, they'd rather fill out a mountain of papers than have you in a hospital bed on the institution's card. Reporting isn’t weakness; it’s responsibility. Silence is not heroic. Silence leads to outbreaks.

Final Reminder:

This isn’t just about you. It’s about the patients, the staff, the people cleaning up after you. Protect yourself. Protect others. Follow the protocol.

Don’t be gross. Don’t be reckless. Don’t skip steps because you’re “in a rush.” Safety is faster than infection.

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