HIV positive patient and safety

Nurses General Nursing

Published

The other night, I had a patient who is HIV positive. Not a big deal, but she took her meds and they made her sick - she vomited into the trashcan beside her bed. I was in her room and about 2 feet from her when she blew her nose and some got on my face and a little in my eye. I quickly wiped it off, but am scared to death. I'm fairly new, and am not as astute in HIV as I should be. I need to get to the doc just to get checked out, will do that Monday. Any ideas about how scared I should be?? I'm very nervous.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, ED.

Unless there was blood in the mucous, you don't need to worry too much. Even a needlestick @ work is only a very small risk. Go to the doctor but don't lose any sleep.

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

THink how many patients you may have or will take care of that have HIV that you dont even know about???

Standard precautions just like you would with any other person.

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The chances of transmission from this type of exposure are ridiculously low....I personally wouldn't worry that much. However, I know that's easier said than done......

Does your institution have a specific protocol for exposure re: post-exposure prophylaxis? Did you let your employee health nurse know about the exposure?

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Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Definitely report the potential exposure to your employer.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Hi ... I agree with all of the above. I think your risk of exposure is extremely low.

It's the bacterial (MRSA, VRE) exposure I'd worry about. For that matter, just about anything, including hepB and C, is much easier to catch than HIV.

Check with employee health regarding policies for reporting.

Get help if you show any signs of infection in your eye ... most likely bacterial, but eyes are vulnerable and important!

Read up on standard precautions ... they are protective against most easily transmitted infections.

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Specializes in cardiac, ortho, med surg, oncology.

HIV is an extremely fragile virus. Usually won't survive a needle stick through a glove and then through the skin. Bodily fluids into an eye would concern me but the risk is still incredibly low.

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Specializes in CVICU, ER.

What will going to the doctor help? You only have 2 hours after an exposure to seek prophylaxic measures. Suppose you were exposed, and infected, it would take a couple of months for seroconversion, so even they wouldn't be able to tell you anything. If it were me, I would have treated it like an exposure and reported it to the supervisor/CN. But since you (I'm assuming) didn't, idk what they will do in this case. As a previous phlebotomist, they urged us to report any exposure, whether needlestick or mm splash, immediately for reasons of worker's comp. It is also hospital policy to drug screen immed after prophylaxis treatment, again for worker's comp. Don't know what they'll do in the case of an exposure reported days after.

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