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.
We had a patient like that a few weeks ago, she bit the security guard after the sitter had had enoough of being in the room with this lady. She drew blood on the security guard and he had to go to the ER. She was 79 years old and just plain nuts. It took 4 of us to give her and IM haldol injection, and when that did nothing to her, and hour later it took 4 more of us to hold her so she could get an ativan injection. the RN was unable to obtain IV access in her, and she ripped out anything that was put in before.
We had a patient like that a few weeks ago, she bit the security guard after the sitter had had enoough of being in the room with this lady. She drew blood on the security guard and he had to go to the ER. She was 79 years old and just plain nuts. It took 4 of us to give her and IM haldol injection, and when that did nothing to her, and hour later it took 4 more of us to hold her so she could get an ativan injection. the RN was unable to obtain IV access in her, and she ripped out anything that was put in before.
Don't mean to hijack the thread, BUT...this pt sounds like an ideal candidate for soft wrist restraints and a vest. I know facilities don't like to use them, but there comes a time when nothing else will do. Restraints sound less risky than using 4 people to hold a person down with a fifth nurse with an uncapped needle in her hand!
I sure wouldn't want to be one of the four holding this raging lady down! I would rather use 5 people to restrain her.
"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"
oh, does the dung train ride on the hershey highway? :lol_hitti
sorry!
I have been bitten, and even gummed by an old lady who didn't have her dentures in!
I've been gummed - never bit. I did once let my guard down for a second... and ended up with one of the "girls" given a malicious tweak by an 85-pound demented spitfire
pink2blue1
295 Posts
We had a patient like that a few weeks ago, she bit the security guard after the sitter had had enoough of being in the room with this lady. She drew blood on the security guard and he had to go to the ER. She was 79 years old and just plain nuts. It took 4 of us to give her and IM haldol injection, and when that did nothing to her, and hour later it took 4 more of us to hold her so she could get an ativan injection. the RN was unable to obtain IV access in her, and she ripped out anything that was put in before.
Glad you are ok!