Can someone please appease my paranoia?

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Specializes in CCU, cardiac tele, NICU.

I was feeding another nurse's baby last night, and didn't check the cap on the bottle before the feed. The cap was on crooked and I spilled (frozen/re-warmed) breast milk on my hand. Now I'm all paranoid about various communicable diseases. Can someone please reassure me?

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OK I will, you are a silly girl. You need to stop right now and slap your own self out of this type of thinking before you make yourself insane!

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Specializes in CCU, cardiac tele, NICU.

I pretty much came to this conclusion after I pictured the looks on the employee health nurse's face if I walked down there and asked for prophylactic HIV therapy. The CDC doesn't consider breast milk a substance that requires PPE, unless you work in a milk bank. It just helps to hear it.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Don't sweat it: if mom's viral load was high enough to fill up a few drops of milk, she'd likely be too sick to even produce milk....

Intact skin is a great defence. I've had HIV positive blood on my hands (quite by accident, nothing to do with PPE), and have remained negative for many years.

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Reassurances :D:D:D:D

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how would this even happen...do you have any open lesions on your hand?

just get a prophylactic cootie shot, and you'll be good.;)

leslie

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Specializes in CCU, cardiac tele, NICU.

No open lesions - one tiny, healing cut. I realize, intellectually, it's completely illogical, and a ton of factors would have to line up perfectly for anything to happen. I am, as I said, being totally paranoid. Probably new job, new town, and readjusting to nights aren't doing anything to help that. :eek:

Thanks for giving me some perspective on this. (Do they make a prophylactic cootie shot? :)

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I was feeding another nurse's baby last night, and didn't check the cap on the bottle before the feed. The cap was on crooked and I spilled (frozen/re-warmed) breast milk on my hand. Now I'm all paranoid about various communicable diseases. Can someone please reassure me?

Look, I don't think it's entirely paranoid. Breast milk is a significant route of transmission in HIV infections. Yet the chances that the mom was HIV+ and if so it penetrated and infected you are slim. (I assume you immediately washed your hands). I wouldn't lay at wake worrying about it, but I do think you should report it and get tested now and again in six months - if only for your peace of mind. The prophylactics are most effective if taken within 12 hours after the incident if memory serves me correctly.

From here on out consider breast milk the same way you would blood and other body fluids; a potentially contaminated and hazardous material and WEAR GLOVES when handling.

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Specializes in Developmental Disabilites,.

I have often thought about all those years when medical professionals didn't wear PPE for anything. It freaks me out!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Home health.

I'm confused, if there's anyway the mom was hiv+ then there's no way that baby should be getting breast milk anyways.

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Specializes in Peds and PICU.

I've had way worse on my hands than boob juice.....like when the baby I was feeding last night decided to reflux, spewing about 15ml partially digested formula all over my hands. Lovely. Unless your hands were covered in oozing open lesions, I think you're OK!

Circle, circle, dot, dot, now you've had your cootie shot!!!

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Specializes in PACU, OR.

tinysam got it, if the mom was HIV+ the OP wouldn't have been feeding the baby breast milk. I rather think you can stop worrying, OP :D

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