I had a patient with Hepatitis C and as I was taking care of her, I was leaning against the siderails of her bed. When I exited the room, I applied sanitizer on my elbows and felt a slight sting on my forearm near my elbow. I'm wondering if there's a cut somewhere over there, but all I felt was a bump. Is it possible that I was exposed to hep c from this?
I dont remember there being any blood on the siderails, and my patient had arm weakness, so I doubt she would be able to reach that far on the siderails.
Also, how soon is it to test for hep c after exposure?
Might be a phobia for which help is needed, but.....also may be someone who is bored and this is entertainment. Go figure.
The person from some months back stated she was a nurse, but it wasn't believable based on the questions. THIS OP states he/she is a student....lending a bit more believability....but I still don't buy it. I 'recognize' it.....
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Okay, I'll bite...
I grew up in a household where both parents were HCV+. My mother contracted it from a tainted blood transfusion in the early 1980s, whereas my father likely contracted it through illicit drug use.
I lived with them from 1981 (year of my birth) until 2003 (year I moved out on my own). After 20+ years of sharing living quarters with two people who have chronic HCV+ infection, I didn't contract it. That should tell you something powerful about the difficulty of contracting this virus.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
The answer to the original question is "yes."
Hint: don't have unprotected sex with your hep c patients.
To elaborate, anal sex presents the greatest risk since those anorectal tissues are delicate and might bleed during the act. There's almost zero risk of contracting HCV through oral or lady partsl sex unless the female partner is menstruating.
I read this and all I could think was ohhhh my. No question is a stupid question in my book but I do not understand how any nurse (RN, LVN, NP) or good CNA would not know this answer. BBP is basic knowledge learned in any nursing program and is taught in level 1.
nursephillyphil, BSN, RN
325 Posts
same poster who asked about being stuck with the cannula of a needle , posts questions but doesn't reply.