Eye splash

Nurses General Nursing

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Anyone ever had a syringe separate from syringe during an injection? I was giving an allergy injection yesterday SQ of course and after I stuck the patient and went to inject the medicine the syringe detached from the needle hub leaving the needle hub in the patient's arm and spraying me in the face with wasp venom! I ended up taking an antihistamine but never showed any signs of a reaction to the venom. Some did get near my eye but I really was not worried about an eye splash exposure since the needle was still stuck in the patient and all that splashed back on me was the allergy serum reflecting off the needle hub when the syringe detached. Is this just a freak accident or has anyone else ever had this happen to them? Just wondering.

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Specializes in ER, Critical Care, Paramedicine.

In my time I've been splashed in the face with medications, saline, blood, and once I think a tech dropped urine and some splashed on my face.. It really stops your heart for a second, before you remember how low the risk really is.. I guess it's just one of the perks to being a nurse!!

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

Seems like the needle hub was not well-seated onto the syringe. Not a very frequent occurence, and one you will be checking for for a long time!

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Seems like the needle hub was not well-seated onto the syringe. Not a very frequent occurence, and one you will be checking for for a long time!

Hello,

Do you think hospitals would be okay if a nurse decides to wear protective glasses when dealing with blood and stuff like that?

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Hello,

Do you think hospitals would be okay if a nurse decides to wear protective glasses when dealing with blood and stuff like that?

Most hospitals are OK with you using whatever you deem necessary to use when you are treating a patient. If you're worried about splashes and whatnot.

This does have moments of ridiculousness, though. We had a housekeeping person wear a gown, a full bunny suit including shoe protectors, a face shield and a mask for a room that was MRSA of the nares. Needless to say in this case she was just being ridiculous and wasteful...

Eye guards should be OK, but if you use correct technique and aren't rushing, you should not need them

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

we used Pharmajets (needleless injections) to give h1n1 injections and if you placed the end against the arm at the wrong angle you'd get a bath in h1n1 serum. I got bathed a few times at first and it got everywhere - eyes, mouth, ear etc...

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Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.
we used Pharmajets (needleless injections) to give h1n1 injections and if you placed the end against the arm at the wrong angle you'd get a bath in h1n1 serum. I got bathed a few times at first and it got everywhere - eyes, mouth, ear etc...

How did those work out? I have never used one, but I heard they hurt worse than actual unjections with needles... any feedback on them? Thanks.

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Specializes in Peds, PACU, ICU, ER, OB, MED-Surg,.

Have had this happen with Rocephin. Just so darn thick, for a small gauge needle. I wear glasses to work so I have built in protection. Started wearing them everyday when my first year of nursing I was with a doc that decided to lance a boil on a patient, squirted out and hit my glasses. Made me a believer.

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Specializes in ER, Critical Care, Paramedicine.

you haven't lived until you've sprayed your self with Fortaz!! :p

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Specializes in Mostly: Occup Health; ER; Informatics.
Hello,

Do you think hospitals would be okay if a nurse decides to wear protective glasses when dealing with blood and stuff like that?

They will not mind...in fact, they are required to provide them to affected employees free of charge by Federal regulation!

(OSHA Standard: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=10051

Personal Protective Equipment -- 1910.1030(d)(3)(i)

Provision. When there is occupational exposure, the employer shall provide, at no cost to the employee, appropriate personal protective equipment such as, but not limited to, gloves, gowns, laboratory coats, face shields or masks and eye protection, and mouthpieces, resuscitation bags, pocket masks, or other ventilation devices. ...The employer shall ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment in the appropriate sizes is readily accessible at the worksite or is issued to employees.

As an occ-health nurse, I want other nurses to know their occupational rights! (at least in the USA)

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
How did those work out? I have never used one, but I heard they hurt worse than actual unjections with needles... any feedback on them? Thanks.

Can tell you from firsthand experience they hurt like a bleep of a bleep compared to needles. Ow.

OP- no- I gave a lot of allergy shots, and never had a separation problem, but it sounds like a backward pressure situation if you were sprayed, which could be caused by some sort of obstruction occurring when you began to inject the serum. I'm not sure what you could have done to avoid it if everything else was A-OK. Just glad you weren't hurt!

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