Have you ever "caught" anything from your patients?

galenight, BSN, RN · Jun 28, 2003

Despite my constant use of universal precautions, I've tested positive for tb, took 6 months of INH with a couple wierd side effects, I've contracted scabies, and the nastiest gi crud known to man 2 days before xmas. Merry xmas.. was my holiday off too, and all I did was mope in my jammies and wait for a merciful death...lol The interesting part of this is that we knew which patient we got it from and for those of us exposed to her we literally got sick (at home) within 1/2 hour of each other. Talk about virulent! I've also had a needle stick, but thankfully nothing came of that. Oh.. and a case of pink eye. I hardly ever get colds anymore. I like to think that I have an Arnold Schwartzenegger (sp?) immune system. LOL

nadia562002 · Jun 28, 2003

I caught the flu in september of all times when I started my peds rotation. I never get sick especially in sep of all times. Who knows if it truly was one of the kids but you just never know. Its the only thing that makes sense. These were oncology kids so go figure. It would have made more sense to catch something from the daycare kids I worked with later in that semester.

udontwannabme · Jun 28, 2003

I work in a very small hospital, we get a lot of MRSA & C-diff from nursing homes, We admit them, then 2 or 3 days later, after most employees are exposed, and even other patients, we find out they need to be in isolation. We are all very serious about universal precautions, but it would really be nice to know about anything before we admit!!!

oramar · Jun 28, 2003

You know what is coming out of this thread. It is obvious that in light of all the respiratory infections nurses catch we need to rethink respiratory isolation.

mother/babyRN, RN · Jun 28, 2003

When ever the latest bout of flu or nasty virus goes around with our pregnant patients coming in for hydration or antibiotic treatment, that always starts a round of sickness amongst the staff....Sometimes in delivery we might have two or three patients with gastritis or the flu...Of COURSE, they have to pass it on somewhere...

grandma rn38 · Jun 28, 2003

i got hep-c from a pt that was confused, and hit my hand and cause me to get a needle stick from her.

Jay-Jay, RN · Jun 28, 2003

I've gotten terrible GI bugs twice. The first one was from a nursing home, and it hit me New Year's day evening (Happy New Year!) Spent most of the night hugging the china basin, and swapping ends over it. At one point, was sitting with a bucket between my knees. Next morning...had a fever of 102, and we were snowed in, to boot!

My husband helped our neighbour shovel her driveway, and when we were done, she offered him the use of her car to drive me to the walk in clinic.

Oh, yeah, early that morning, my employer calls me: "JANE!! They desperately need you back at that nursing home you were at yesterday!! They're having a flu epidemic, and half their staff is off sick!"

Yeah, riiiight, TELL me about it!!!! :rolleyes:

Second one was a homecare pt. with an abcess. Her little girl loooved to get up on the bed and help with the dressing. I let her take the bandage off, and help cut the tape for me. She was such a sweetheart!

When the dressing was done this particular day, the pt. asked me what to do for the stomach flu. Turns out both the little girl and her 6 month old baby brother had it. I made a few suggestions, then carefully washed my hands before I left.

Too little, too late....that night it hit me at 1 in the morning. Of course, the next day was my busiest day of the week, and the office had to somehow try to place all 10 of my patients!

How bad was it?? First time in my adult life I've had to get my hubby to help change soiled bedsheets!

kids · Jun 28, 2003

Originally posted by K O'Malley
Fifths disease, while not at all serious can be lethal for an unborn child. I know of a tragic case of a pregnant nurse who caught Fifth's disease from a patient.

Wow.

That is really sad. Fifth is definately on an increase IMHO, it existed when my kids (18-23) were little but I never actually heard of someone getting it until the last couple of months, same as Hand, Foot & Mouth (coxsackie virus).

BTW, Fifth is NOT contageous once the extremity rash appears and it NEVER itches (we have had 2 cases of Fifth lately that were dx by the school nurse that turned out to be strep with no sore throat).

Links:

Fifth: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/respiratory/parvo_b19.htm

Fifth & pregnancy:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/respiratory/B19&preg.htm

kids · Jun 28, 2003

Since I started working in a Peds clinic 2 months ago I have had some sort of URI/gastroenteritis every other week...am currently on Zithromax & prednisone for the laters one. My MD says that is just what happens but that the good news is by the time the cold/flu season starts my immune system with be strong enough to reach out and jack slap anyone who coughs in public.

The thing that really irks me the most about catching one (minor) bug after the other is that it is happening because parents are not washing their kids (or their own) hands.

rebel_red · Jun 28, 2003

Thanks for the answers and the links.

Tres

vettech · Jun 28, 2003

Originally posted by kids-r-fun
There is more than one type of scarcoptic mite (we treat a lot of scabies at my job), the mange mite that dogs get can infect humans but is a self limiting infection.

A good link (I'm a CDC addict):
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/scabies/factsht_scabies.htm

Ah, gracias for the link. According to that link the culprit in humans is usually Sarcoptes scabei which is also the most common culprit in canine infestation (in felines it is Notoedres cati ). There is also a form of mange that is non-infectious (Demodectic mange) seen only in young or immunosuppressed animals.

According to whatI've read, huamn infestations of S. scabei is usually self-limiting as the definitive host for the mite is the canine. In other words, sarcops mites would rather not live on a human but, given no other choice they will.

Have you found that this is more common in immunospuuressed patients? I've only seen one human case of it and it was an elderly couple who was known for taking in strays.

karenG · Jun 29, 2003

fifths disease is also called slapped cheek over here.

Karen