The document provides guidance on first aid procedures for various incidents that may occur in a microbiology laboratory. It lists the contents that should be included in a first aid kit for a microbiology lab. It then describes the three step process for first aid after exposure to infectious microorganisms: removal of material, assessment of infection risk, and referral to a physician. Various first aid procedures are outlined for exposures through different routes, as well as burns, electric shocks, and contamination from infected materials.

1. FIRST AID IN MICROBIOLOGY LAB
BY
SENI MB
Ist yr Msc.microbiology

3. CONTENTS OF FIRST AID BOX
(1)Adhesive tape
(ii) Antibiotic ointment
(iii) Antiseptic solution or towelettes
(iv) Bandages, including a roll of elastic wrap and bandage strips
(Band-Aid, Curad, others) in assorted sizes.
(v) Instant cold packs
(vi) Cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs
(vii) Disposable latex or synthetic gloves, at least two pair
(viii) Duct tape
(ix) Gauze pads and roller gauze in assorted sizes
(x) First-aid manual
(xi) Petroleum jelly or other lubricant

4. (xii) Plastic bags for the disposal of contaminated materials
(xiii) Safety pins in assorted sizes
(xiv) Scissors and tweezers
(xv) Soap or instant hand sanitizer
(xvi) Sterile eyewash, such as a saline solution
(xvii) Thermometer
(xviii) Triangular bandage
(xix) Other bulb suction device for flushing out wounds.

5. • Accidental exposure to infectious microorganisms is an
expected, although rare, event in hospital, research,
and industrial laboratories.
Firstaid in microbiology
• After known exposure, no emergency procedures can
be wholly relied upon to prevent infection
• The person in charge of first aid assistance should be
familiar with the potentially hazardous microorganisms
used in the laboratory .

6. First aid after exposure consists of three steps:
(i) removal or dilution of infectious material and institution of first aid
measures;
(ii) assessment of the infection risk;
(iii) referral to a physician for treatment and evaluation for prophylaxis.
• Infectious material can be removed or diluted from the
intact or broken skin and mucosa by washing with
copious amounts of water and soap.
• Antiseptics such as alcohol, tincture of iodine, idophor
or chlorohexidine preparations should be applied

7. • The assessment of the infection risk should
include an evaluation of
• The type and amount of infectious material,
• The mode of transmission,
• The portal of entry,
• And the general and specific conditions of the
host.
• For some infectious diseases the infectious dose
has been established by voluntary or accidental
inoculation

8. • Prophylactic measures should be applied only under the
direction of a physician and may include
• local therapy such as instillation of antiseptic or antibiotic eye
drops;
• administration of specific or nonspecific immunoglobulin;
vaccination, e.g., for the prophylaxis of tetanus in a previously
non-immunized patient;
• and the use of specific antimicrobial substances.
• If the laboratory uses a limited number of potentially
pathogenic microorganisms, their antimicrobial susceptibility
profile should be established and communicated to the
employee's medical care facility.

9. • In research and industrial laboratories
employees are often immunized against
the microorganisms with which they are
working.
• This information should be known to the
person administering first aid.
• The employee's health status needs to
be assessed, because
immunosuppressive or other chronic
diseases or pregnancy may influence the
steps to be taken for definitive treatment
of the accident victim.

10. • In cases of accidents with microorganisms for which
serological tests are available or can be developed
• A base-line serum sample should be obtained at the time
of occurrence
• Preferably, base-line sera from all laboratory personnel
should have been collected and stored
• And a second serum sample is obtained at the time of
exposure or onset of symptoms.

11. Routes of laboratory-acquired infections include the
following
(i) Intact mucosa.
Infectious droplets may reach the mucosal surfaces of the eye.
nose, or oral cavity.
Organisms may be transmitted to the mucosa through devices
such as pipettes, by spraying from syringes, by droplets and
aerosols generated by laboratory procedures such as high-
speed blending and centrifugation or centrifuge accidents, and
by direct contact (finger) from the source or from contaminated
fomites.

12. (ii) Broken skin.
Infectious material may enter directly or via fomites
through abrasions, small cuts, or larger accidental
wounds or through inoculation with needles or other
sharp items.
Insect vectors may transmit disease through stings,
bites, or contamination of a bite wound.
Certain microorganisms may enter the body through the
unbroken skin, e.g., spirochetes and schistosomes, or
infect the skin tissue directly, such as dermatophytes.

13. (iv) Inhalation.
Entry into the body is achieved through
droplets and aerosols such as those
generated by sprays from syringes,
centrifugation, and tissue mincing, or with
dust (animal bedding).
(v) Ingestion.
Microorganisms reach the gastrointestinal tract directly
from an infected source (faecal-oral transmission) or
through a contaminated carrier.
Careless storage of food in a laboratory or eating and
drinking at the laboratory bench are other causes of
transmission.

14. In all cases of accidental exposure to
infectious agents, the exposed employee
should be referred to a physician for
evaluation and appropriate treatment or
prophylaxis.

15. Refe: D.H.M. Gröschel, K.G. Dwork, R.P. Wenzel, and L.W.
Scheibel, Laboratory accidents with infectious agents, in:
B.M. Miller et al., Laboratory Safety: Principles and
Practices. American Society for Microbiology, Washington,
D.C., 1986.

16.  ACID SPLASHES ON THE SKIN
 Wash thoroughly and repeatedly with
water
 Bathe the affected skin with cotton wool
soaked in 5% aqueous sodium
carbonate

17. ACID SPLASHES IN THE EYE
• Wash the eye immediately with water sprayed from a
wash bottle. Squirt the water in to the corner of eye
• After washing neutralize with 5 % sodium bicarbonate
into the eye
• Refer physician, continue to apply bicarbonate
and hold the eye under running tap water alternatively
while waiting for the doctor

18. SWALLOWING ACIDS
• Accidental swallowing occur while doing mouth pipetting
• Call a physician
• Make the patient to drink 8%w/v magmesium hydroxide suspension or two whites of egg
mixed with 500ml of water or milk
• Make him gargle with soap solution
• Give him 3-4 glasses of ordinary water
• If the lips and tongue are burned rinse thoroughly with water, bath with 2% aqueous
sodium bicarbonate
ALKALI SPLASHES IN THE EYE
• Wash immediately with water
• After washing, wash the eye with 5%acetic acid diluted 1 in 5.
• Refer patient to physician

19. ALKALI SPLASHES ON THE SKIN
• wash thoroughly and repeatedly with
water
• Bathe the affected skin with cotton
soaked in 5% acetic acid
SWALLOWING ALKALIS
• Send for physician
• Make the patient drink at once a 1% solution of
acetic acid or lemon juice or dilute vinegar
• Make him gargle with the same acid solution
• Give 3-4 glasses of ordinary water

20. POISONING
• This can be caused by inhaling toxic vapours or gases
accidental swallowing of poisonous solution
• Send for a physician, specifying the toxic substance
• Place the victim in the open air
BURNS CAUSED BY HEAT
• SEVERE BURNS
• If splashed with burning ether or other inflammable solvent, roll him in a fire
blanket
• Inform physician
• Lay the victim on the ground. Do not remove his clothing. Cover him if he is
cold
• Do not apply any treatment to the burns. This must be left to the physician

21. • Removing any constricting articles such
as rings or bracelets before the affected
area starts to swell and becomes blisterd.
• Provide frequent small drinks.
CHEMICAL BURNS OF THE SKIN
• Wash immediately in running water for
several minutes, remove any
contaminated clothing.
• Neutralize with suitable chemical.
• If acid burn- sodium bicarbonate powder.
• If an alkali- boric acid.

22. MINOR BURNS
• Plunge the affected part into cold water or ice water to soothe the
pain
• Apply mercurochrome or acriflavine ointment to the burn
• Apply a dry gauze dressing loosely
• If the burn become infected refer to a physician
INJURIES CAUSED BY BROKEN GLASS
• Wash the wound immediately to remove any glass pieces
• Apply mercurochrome or acriflavine ointment to the wound
• Cover with gauze and adhesive tape
• If the cut bleeds, stop the bleeding by pressing down on it
with compress. Refer physician

23. BODILY DAMAGE BY ELECTRIC SHOCK
• Before doing anything else, put off the main
switch.
• Send for a physician
• Begin giving mouth to mouth respiration
immediately.

24. Contamination by Infected Material:
Wounds caused by broken glassware containing stools, pus,
(a) Wash wound immediately.
(b) Check whether the cut is bleeding. If not, squeeze hard to
make it several minutes.
(c) Bathe the whole area, i.e. the edges of the cut and inside
cut, with antiseptic lotion.
(d) Wash thoroughly with soapy water.
(e) Refer the patient to a physician if the material involved is
known to be very infective, e.g. pus.

25. • Contamination of the eyes requires immediate flushing with water or
ophthalmic saline irrigation solution
• Visit medical practioner.
SWOLLOWING OF INFECTED MATERIAL
• If oral contamination has occurred, the mouth should be rinsed
immediately with tap water.
• lf dangerous microbiologic material is swallowed, several glasses of
water should be drunk and then vomiting should be induced by
stimulating the back of the throat with the tip of a finger. ....
CONTAMINATION OF EYE