Bloodborne Pathogen Costs

According to the July 2007 issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the costs of an exposure to a bloodborne pathogen ranged from a low of $71 to a high of $4,838 per incident depending on the circumstances. Calculations included time spent reporting, managing and following up the exposures, salaries, laboratory testing, and postexposure prophylaxis. The mean cost of exposures was $2,456 from HIV infected sources, $376 from unknown or HIV-negative infected sources, and $650 from hepatitis C infected sources.

And while we are talking about costs, did you know there is a fine associated with failure to review and update your bloodborne pathogex exposure control plan? According to Medical Enviornment Update published on June 17, 2008 by HCPro, failure to review the exposure control plan at least annually and whenever necessary to reflect new hazards, work practices, and engineering controls is one of the most frequent fines cited by OSHA for physician practices. Initial fines have averaged $590 per citation.