After a needlestick injury, which element is included in the post-exposure protocol?

• A. Waiting 24 hours.
• B. Vaccination status review.
• C. Document in a personal notebook.
• D. Ignore the incident.

Answer: (B)

After a needlestick, the post-exposure steps focus on quickly assessing risk and preventing infection. Checking vaccination status is essential because it shows whether you already have immunity to hepatitis B. If you’re not vaccinated or not immune, vaccination (and sometimes additional immune support) may be recommended as part of the response. This information helps tailor immediate actions and follow-up tests, guiding whether post-exposure prophylaxis is needed and how to monitor for potential infection.

Other actions like waiting 24 hours before taking steps, recording the incident only in a personal notebook, or ignoring the exposure fail to provide timely, formal care and documentation, which are critical for worker safety.