Am I going to catch things from my patients?

PEBBLES1 · Sep 15, 2008

You can cath TB from the public, because it airborne. Make sure you put your mask and gloves on. Always assume that all pt's are contagious.

APUalyssa* · Sep 15, 2008

You can cath TB from the public, because it airborne. Make sure you put your mask and gloves on. Always assume that all pt's are contagious.

its true

better to be safe than sorry

Trauma Columnist · Sep 15, 2008

TB has to be "active" in order to transmit it. Here's the CDC website:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5417a1.htm?s_cid=rr5417a1_e

There is no reason to be overly cautious when taking care of any patients. If you follow standard infection disease control measures and dawn the specific barrier equipment there should be no problem. There are many other more important things to worry about and with adequate knowledge, you should be more comfortable. Good luck.

catzy5 · Sep 15, 2008

You can cath TB from the public, because it airborne. Make sure you put your mask and gloves on. Always assume that all pt's are contagious.

This is the best information you can follow!

I can't tell you the number of times at the end of my shift last semester, that I would see my patient I had all day being wheeled to isolation, due to the pressence of Cdiff, or MRSA, or some other fun bug. I would think each time thank goodness I follow the everyone is contagious rule.

Never got sick incidently until the summer when I had time hahaha.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2008

can i catch something from this guy, even with the protective barriers on? the sad thing is that this man is a former physician, who probably caught the diseases from his own patients.

"learn from your patients. in particular, those with chronic or unusual diseases will likely know more about their illnesses then you. find out how their diagnosis was made, therapies that have worked or failed, disease progression, reasons for frustration or gratitude with the health care system, etc. realize also that patients and their stories are frequently more interesting then the diseases that inhabit their bodies." (

http://meded.ucsd.edu/clinicalmed/introduction.htm

, a few thoughts before you go)

part of nursing school curriculum is learning about diseases, their causes, signs and symptoms, complications, medical treatment, and nursing care. power lies in knowledge. educate yourself about these questions you have. i used to think back to biblical times and the people who had leprosy that were shunned by others. that is not so today. why? because of what is now known about hansen's disease (leprosy).

there are many resources you can go to for information about tuberculosis. these links have information and tutorials on tb. talk with the patient who has tb.

i want to add that we have universal precautions that we are all supposed to follow when working around patients and their secretions. tb is transmitted by respiratory droplet and thrives primarily in people who are malnourished and have a compromised immune system [which most likely doesn't include you], so if someone like this is coughing when you are around them: (1) don't stand in front of them, (2) don't stand in the direction of their coughing, and (3) get out of the area asap so you aren't breathing in the air they just coughed their droplets of sputum into.

the cdc guidelines for the various isolation procedures in the hospital and explanations about them are listed on this post for you https://allnurses.com/forums/2899223-post33.html. this may jump the gun on a future lecture you will be getting in school, but for your peace of mind, read them now. knowledge is power.

i worked on a stepdown unit for many years where we had many respiratory patients with copd, aids and an occasional legionnaires. some were on ventilators and required suctioning. one of the lvns who worked with us drove us nuts because she refused to work with any patient who she heard coughing because of her fear of getting tb even though none of these patients ever had tb. she was paranoid of it and nothing we said would assure her that she was safe with all the precautions we had in place. she put an unfair burden on the rest of us who had to take care of those patients that she would do nothing for because of her phobia. the head nurse had to finally intervene.

the worst i had happen to me during my career is that i got infested with scabies--twice--working with a lot of indigent and homeless patients. you can't see these little buggers or even know a patient has them unless you see the patient scratching at themselves and suspect this is what they might have since scabies are microscopic. i think my mistake was (1)hanging the infested uniforms before laundering them in my closet where the scabies had a chance to jump from one garment to another looking for better places to live and (2) not showering immediately after changing when i got home from work (i always showered before going to work and put on a clean uniform).

happilymarried · Sep 15, 2008

Unless you have been fitted for an N-95 mask, I wouldn't go into the room. Regular masks do not offer adequate protection. :nono: At my school, if the word tuburculosis even comes up we are supposed to get our instructor immediatly and STAY OUT OF THE CLEINT'S ROOM!:uhoh21: It is just not worth the risk!

aerorunner80, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN · Sep 15, 2008

It is a very real possibility that we could catch anything from our patients. Why do you think we have all the policies and proceedures in place that we do?

This is something that weighed in heavily on me when I made my decision to start nursing school. I decided that for me, the benefits of the profession outweighed the risks exponentionally.

As long as you wear your PPE and whatever else you may need like your respirator for TB, masks for droplet, gown and gloves for contact, your chances of catching something is minimal. That is another reason why you wash your hands with soap and water on top of everything else.

There are also proceedures for accidental needle sticks and exposure to blood. This happens to us all. Even though I'm a tech right now, I've been exposed to blood but I followed everything I was supposed to do and I'm fine.

The moral of the story. WASH YOUR HANDS AND ARMS. This is soooo important. If you do that, the risks are so minimal.

Bicster · Sep 15, 2008

Eat healthy, get adequate rest, take a lot of vitamin C, make sure all of your vaccinations are up to date and above all else, make sure you have gotten your cootie shot. Youll be fine.

JStyles1 · Sep 15, 2008

TB has to be "active" in order to transmit it. Here's the CDC website:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5417a1.htm?s_cid=rr5417a1_e
There is no reason to be overly cautious when taking care of any patients. If you follow standard infection disease control measures and dawn the specific barrier equipment there should be no problem. There are many other more important things to worry about and with adequate knowledge, you should be more comfortable. Good luck.

:werd:

its always easy to spot the newbies b/c of stuff like this

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2008

Newbie....anything CAN happen. Could you get a disease from a patient? Sure..You're just as likely to get hit by a car. But, like crossing the street, you use good common sense and precautions(look both ways, cross fast, make sure you are in the right area, etc.)

ALWAYS use PPE. Gown and glove whenever it is required. Anytime you are handling body secretions, use gloves. If a gown is required, put it on and glove over gown....remove PPE before you leave the room.

For masks, it depends on the isolation, but I'd personally rather be overprotected than under. for active TB, they'd be in a reverse isolation room with N95 masks required...and you have to be fit tested for those.

However, if the TB is a history...you'd be ok with a regular mask...

In any case, there are a lot of other things to worry about...but protect yourself at all costs. You are your most valuable asset....

Atheos · Sep 16, 2008

Influenza and rotovirus both pass very easily. Be prepared to get both at least a couple of times. No matter WHAT I do, I can't avoid them. Even with excessive and OCDish handwashing and alcohol use.