Anyone catch HIV from patients as a Nurse or Nursing student? My biggest fear!

Nurses Safety

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Ok so I had a scare couple years ago as a CMA was exposed to blood but didn't get into my eyes luckily plus the patient wasn't HIV positive, but that what if still ran through my head a lot of ppl don't get tested for HIV. Anywho just curious to hear any stories from nurses or nursing students that caught HIV on the job? God bless you and hope to hear your stories. It's a scary thing that's always in the back of my head and the biggest fear I have in becoming a nurse.

I worked with full blown AIDS patients in the late 1980's. I was young and I guess felt invincible. Had exposure to urine and fluids a few times so was lucky not to convert. If you do have exposure you need to report it to supervisor and get tested.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

In the mid-90's, a co-worker of mine developed a corneal herpes infection due to a patient coughing in her face... lost her vision in that eye and subsequently had a corneal transplant to restore some vision. I also helped care for a medical student who died of fulminating hepB (late 80's) - also contracted from patient exposure. Both those experiences had a huge impact on my practice re: 100% use of PPE.

Yep, lots scarier stuff than HIV.

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^Excuse my ignorance,but how could someone get corneal herpes from someone coughing in their face?

That sounds airborne,like TB.

Herpes requires skin to skin contact as far as I know,and you use Standard precautions.

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My grandfather died from this disease back in early 90s. They do not know if was contracted or a spontaneously occurred. You can get the gene mutation and therefore I cannot give blood.

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
My grandfather died from this disease back in early 90s. They do not know if was contracted or a spontaneously occurred. You can get the gene mutation and therefore I cannot give blood.

HIV can spontaneously occur?

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HIV can spontaneously occur?

No. The poster was probably talking about CJD, which has a spontaneous, familial form.

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Seriously, nothing gives me the willies like prions.

I find prions fascinating. Ugly but fascinating. I did an extensive project on Fatal Familial Insomnia in my genetics class.

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
No. The poster was probably talking about CJD, which has a spontaneous, familial form.

That makes sense.

BTW, I originally had an extremely sarcastic response instead of the one that sounded genuine (it wasn't - I had a snarky follow up if that person turned out to be an AIDS-denier or something).

I'm fully aware HIV/AIDS do not occur without cause and I wasn't legitimately asking.

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