A Patient Bit Me!

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I had a pt bite me yesterday at work! I had never had something like this happen before. The pt had some psych issues, was known for putting anything in her mouth. She had a sitter. The sitter called me to let me know the pt was eating a sock (I don't know how the sitter let the pt get the sock). I came back, grabbed the sock out of the pt's mouth, and as I was pulling my arm away, the pt bit my arm! It took several minutes to get the pt to loosen her bite on my arm. Fortunately, I was wearing a long sleeved undershirt, so no skin was broken. I reported it to employee health. I am fine, but I have a nasty bruise/bite mark on my arm, that's still sore a day later. Since this pt's mouth wasn't the cleanest of places, I have been watching for signs of infection or cellulitis, but so far no swelling or other signs.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

Been there! I used to be a school nurse in a special ed school where the students would often go from calm to crazed without warning. My arm was on the menu more than once. Ice it and take photos. It will be sore for a few days.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
Been there! I used to be a school nurse in a special ed school where the students would often go from calm to crazed without warning. My arm was on the menu more than once. Ice it and take photos. It will be sore for a few days.

Thanks Fire. I put some antibiotic ointment on it that employee health gave me. I'm really worried about an infection, as this particular pt is known for eating feces. :(

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Yuck. I had a patient that would eat anything and everything too. Pencils, napkins, paperclips. But feces? Yikes. Clean the wound well and put that antibiotic ointment on it.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

yep- keep it clean and if you haven't gotten a tetorifice shot in a while it may be a good time to get one. since you said it didn't break your skin, don't stress too much

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Specializes in psychiatric, UR analyst, fraud, DME,MedB.
Thanks Fire. I put some antibiotic ointment on it that employee health gave me. I'm really worried about an infection, as this particular pt is known for eating feces. :(

How about HIV test? or I assume you have those series of HIV vaccination shots ? We always screen Psych patients for HIV and part fo the initial labs.

Theresa:typing

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
How about HIV test? or I assume you have those series of HIV vaccination shots ? We always screen Psych patients for HIV and part fo the initial labs.

Theresa:typing

Believe it or not, employee health didn't want to do the whole HIV precaution (test me and pt) since no skin was broken. The argued it was not a blood borne exposure, therefore no risk of HIV.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
yep- keep it clean and if you haven't gotten a tetorifice shot in a while it may be a good time to get one. since you said it didn't break your skin, don't stress too much

I actually got a Tetnus 2 months prior, because my md thought a tetnus/whooping cough shot combo would be a good idea. :)

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.
Thanks Fire. I put some antibiotic ointment on it that employee health gave me. I'm really worried about an infection, as this particular pt is known for eating feces. :(

I had a LOL once that "dug for gold" and would put it in her hair, her mouth..you name it :(

I had to contract with her to get her to stop...at least on MY shift. She was a candy fanatic so I bought some Hershey miniatures and gave her one every hour that she didn't ride the dung train..hehe

Sorry you caught the biting end of her :(

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

They have an hiv vaccine? ! Seriously?!

If the bite didn't break your skib you should be ok.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

My dad got bitten by a psych patient and it did break the skin. The pt admitted to promiscuity and drug use, my dad ended up on the AZT treatment. He's fine, thank god. He ended up going to a workman's comp lawyer and got $5000 because he still has a scar and he missed some work too(the AZT drugs can make you feel terrible).

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Specializes in Emergency, Critical Care Transport.
They have an hiv vaccine? ! Seriously?!

PEP: Post-exposure Prophylaxis is the reference. I believe it consists of short-term anti-retroviral drugs, and more information can be found on the WHO website here: http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/guidelines/PEP/en/index.html

Not a vaccine, but if you have reason to believe you've been exposed to HIV, HCV, etc, it's available.

Hope that helps.

And the concentration of HIV in saliva is so minute that it would take a 2 Liter bottle of it to have detectable levels (yum).

Cheers!

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