One of the techs on my inpatient psych unit was bitten by an adolescent patient. The skin was broken, and a small flap of skin on the back of his hand was hanging by a small piece of skin. At my insistence, the tech reported it immediately, was sent next door to the "real" hospital, and was treated.
Our infection control nurse offered to have blood drawn on the tech but not on the patient.
Am I missing something here? Drawing blood on the tech might protect the hospital in case the tech later develops something and they can prove he probably already had it, I guess.
I thought there was a mandatory blood draw on the biter to discover if he was carrying any goodies (HIV and hep for starters), so that a prophylactic protocol could be started until there was an all-clear.
But just in case I am missing something obvious, I thought I'd run it by you guys first.
Then Go Home And Take A Shower And Then Go And Play Tennis
The Excercise Will Do Wonders For Whatever Bacteria You Already Have In Your System
Take Something For The Pain
Did You Have Stiches Done Or It Was Not So Big Enough
But Make Sure You File For That Incident Report Just In Case You Get Infection From The Bite Then You Can Do Collect What Is Called Workman's Comp And You Can Take Off From Work
Put Ice On The Wound To Reduce Swelling Or You Can Do What Is Called Hot And Cold Compress On The Would To Reduce Swelling
Good Luck
Or You Can Print This And Put It In Your Affected Area And Pray To God And To Jesus Christ
How can you force anyone to cooperate? How could you force them anymore than you can force treatment when the patient refuses? Force how? Via the courts? Or sitting on the patient until they give up a blood sample? At what point is it assault?
Not sure about Texas, but in Maine the blood sample can be obtained by court order. If the source person refuses and wants to fight it, it would be no different than if someone refused to go to jail. They can fight it, but they're still going. If obtaining the blood involved restraint it would be considered necessary force, not assault.
How can you force anyone to cooperate? How could you force them anymore than you can force treatment when the patient refuses? Force how? Via the courts? Or sitting on the patient until they give up a blood sample? At what point is it assault?
I am just telling you what we were told. I will try and email her and see if I can get any more information. It is of my opinion that any means necessary shoud be taken to obtain a blood sample.
I am just telling you what we were told. I will try and email her and see if I can get any more information. It is of my opinion that any means necessary shoud be taken to obtain a blood sample.
My understanding is the same. When the court intervenes, the source person loses their right to refuse. As it should be, IMO.
Why should the bitee or any potentially infective body fluid recipient be put at such risk with no recourse? Are they not the victim of assault?
Does the bitee have a legal right to defend themselves from the biter ? If I am ever bitten they will easily be able to obtain a blood sample from the nose of the biter :) Seriously I would at least call the police and have them arrested for assault, customer service goes out the window at that point.
Does the bitee have a legal right to defend themselves from the biter ? If I am ever bitten they will easily be able to obtain a blood sample from the nose of the biter :) Seriously I would at least call the police and have them arrested for assault, customer service goes out the window at that point.
That is an interesting point. Gotta wonder what upper mgmt would say to that. :chuckle
Does the bitee have a legal right to defend themselves from the biter ? If I am ever bitten they will easily be able to obtain a blood sample from the nose of the biter Seriously I would at least call the police and have them arrested for assault, customer service goes out the window at that point.
Well, in my state (and the rules are different in every state ...), if you used anything more/other than the approved behavior management techniques that your facility teaches/uses (which are designed to protect the client's safety as well as your own), you would be reported to the state authorities for alleged client abuse, almost certainly be fired, and would be open to criminal assault charges. "Bitees" in healthcare settings certainly have a legal right to protect themselves, but not to punch anyone.
Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.
In terms of your colleague's peace of mind, though, she should remember that the biter is usually in more danger of contracting unpleasantries from their victim's blood than the victim is from the biter's saliva. Of course, a miniscule risk factor doesn't help if you end up being the one in 1,000 or whatever, so I agree that it would be better if the patient could be tested.
Well, in my state (and the rules are different in every state ...), if you used anything more/other than the approved behavior management techniques that your facility teaches/uses (which are designed to protect the client's safety as well as your own), you would be reported to the state authorities for alleged client abuse, almost certainly be fired, and would be open to criminal assault charges. "Bitees" in healthcare settings certainly have a legal right to protect themselves, but not to punch anyone.
Hmmm.. I'm pretty sure the poster you quoted wasn't posting literally. They were just joking a bit and making a point. I seriously doubt the person in question would actually strike a patient. :chuckle
Hmmm.. I'm pretty sure the poster you quoted wasn't posting literally. They were just joking a bit and making a point. I seriously doubt the person in question would actually strike a patient.
And yet, as most of us are aware, healthcare workers in all kinds of settings do strike clients now and then ... I worked for the last several years as a state inspector in psych settings and investigated numerous situations where staff struck or otherwise abused clients -- in one esp. memorable case, a male tech punched a retarded male client in the head for just being annoying when the tech was tired and in a bad mood ...
The poster asked what I took to be a sincere question (perhaps I was mistaken), and I offered a factual answer. I have no idea whether the poster would actually hit a client, and I'm not suggesting that s/he would, but I've seen too much over the years to have much of a sense of humor about client abuse. Sorry for being such a downer ...
The poster asked what I took to be a sincere question (perhaps I was mistaken), and I offered a factual answer. ...
I do understand what you are saying, but if you will look at the post in question, there is a smiley face after the comment.
I am a person with a very dry sense of humor and I often times have to use smiley's, etc. to show I am not being serious. I think the poster in question was doing the same however they are free to correct me if I am wrong about the smiley after the comment in question.
KPOP
54 Posts
Hi There.
Probably Get An Incident Report Filled Out
Then Get A Tetanous Shot
Then Go Home And Take A Shower And Then Go And Play Tennis
The Excercise Will Do Wonders For Whatever Bacteria You Already Have In Your System
Take Something For The Pain
Did You Have Stiches Done Or It Was Not So Big Enough
But Make Sure You File For That Incident Report Just In Case You Get Infection From The Bite Then You Can Do Collect What Is Called Workman's Comp And You Can Take Off From Work
Put Ice On The Wound To Reduce Swelling Or You Can Do What Is Called Hot And Cold Compress On The Would To Reduce Swelling
Good Luck
Or You Can Print This And Put It In Your Affected Area And Pray To God And To Jesus Christ
Mabuhay!
Kathy
Kpop