can someone help??

bargainhound, RN · Mar 7, 2004

How could DON know everyone free from infectious disease?

Make sure incident report was done. Document all patient's names who might have used the lancet....also any employees who may have used lancet on themselves or others not patients.

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Mar 7, 2004

How could DON know everyone free from infectious disease?
Make sure incident report was done. Document all patient's names who might have used the lancet....also any employees who may have used lancet on themselves or others not patients.

My thoughts exactly. Worry won't change a thing, however. Action will...do what you can and must to protect yourself.

And welcome to Allnurses !!!

shllby1 · Mar 7, 2004

i filled out an incident report, and when i say DON, i also mean the owner of the assisted living home. She told me that they are all clear of hiv/ hepatitis, they are all 80 plus yrs old. I am still freaking out though.

jkaee · Mar 8, 2004

Good...you did the first step in filling out an IR, but you should have been seen by the employee health Dr, or the practice that you should see with a Workers Comp type injury. There are tests that you should have done, and may even start some meds as a preventative measure. You need to get on the owners back and find out what step you need to take next. You may need to demand to see the Dr., and make sure it's all covered under Workers Comp. Even if you don't know whose lancet it was, or if it was used, you need to take preventative steps, mostly for your peace of mind.

Let us know how you are doing, and remember that we're here to help!

Jennifer

:)

shllby1 · Mar 8, 2004

this place doesnt have an employee health nurse or doc, i guess since its a year old and there are only 9, 3 of which are the diabetics, i think the owner just doesnt see the need for me to be tested, she told me if i wanted to for peace of mind to go ahead but that everyone was fine, and that she had a workup of test done when they are admitted.

Marty1 · Mar 8, 2004

Always protect yourself first

this may end up being nothing but you need to take care of you

There is no way , the DON , can know if ALL the residents are

free of disease UNLESS she had them all tested on admit, for ALL

the diseases , which I doubt happened.

Take care of you kid, your young and healthy , stay that way

bargainhound, RN · Mar 8, 2004

Just because the residents are 80 plus years old does not guarantee that they are not infected....infections can occur at any time from a variety of sources.

Also, hepatitis can be asymtomatic for decades before being dectected.

leslie :-D · Mar 8, 2004

i think your don's advice is pretty bogus and irresponsible. as the others said, fill out an incident report and go to your own md if you have to, but definitely get tested. there's a host of viruses that are transmissible, never mind the infectious ones. and i do believe that your facility would be responsible for paying your medical bills since it happened on the job. we need to stand up for ourselves.

TMPaul · Mar 8, 2004

Please check the CDC recommendations and OSHA regulations (http://www.cdc.gov. http://www.osha.gov) regarding exposures. You do have the right to be tested at the employers expense. As well, the employwer has a mandate to provide you (their employee) with a safe working environment.

Please don't delay, get baseline testing done now. The federal laws are clear on blood and body fluid exposures.

BTW, I'm an Employee Health/Occupational Medicine Nurse Practitioner and do all the exposure testing for the Medical Center.

Don't give up- you have a right to be tested. :)

shllby1 · Mar 8, 2004

I am definatly getting tested but do you think my chances are high to get something from a lancet that was in the box with the cap off? I dont know if it was new or used, i always thought that needles w/ syringes were the ones to really be worried about? I dont know i am just getting really scared now.

TMPaul · Mar 8, 2004

I am definatly getting tested but do you think my chances are high to get something from a lancet that was in the box with the cap off? I dont know if it was new or used, i always thought that needles w/ syringes were the ones to really be worried about? I dont know i am just getting really scared now.

The chance is very low- the viruses cannot survive outside a human host for longer that a few hours. The greatest risk is a stick with a large bore hollow needle that's been in a vein (exposure to a large amount of blood). Lancet's don't generally penetrate deep enough and are not hollow. I've been in this job for 12 years now and I can say that I've seen NO seroconversions from negative HIV to positive HIV, and we've had some direct HIV exposures from blood and sputum. :)

Based on my experience, I think you'll be fine. You can e-mail privately if you want. [email protected].