Yes, I have done the unthinkable.........me of all folks.......OB/employee health nurse. How could this happen to me?
I was helping out of the floor. Went to give IV meds, and No i really don't know if there was blood backed up in the port. I flushed the port w/ 3cc NS, gave the IV Lasix, and started to flush the port again. The patient jerked her arm away and the needle stuck into my thumb, deep. Crap it hurt and pissed me off too.
NO we don't use a needleless system at our small rural south ga hospital.
Finished w/ the patient, finger bleed freely, I washed it with antibacterial soap, went thru the protocol.......drug test, alcohol test, HIV and Hep test...........incident report......etc..........
The doc had the patient tested for Hep. He said he wasn't worried about HIV.......
So, here's my question..........pt. background......80 year old female.....never had a blood transfusion.
After I did all of that, the infection control person says.......do you want to take the medicine for AIDS/HIV.........well I didn't.......I didn't think it was necessary and wasn't sure of side effects or even haven't heard much about this.
Was i wrong? What would you have done?
BTW.......my hep has come back neg.........don't know when the HIV will return.