Would you be concerned about this potential exposure?

Nurses General Nursing

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I was watching an I and D being perform on an finger abscess by a physician. The initial cut released a little squirt of clear pus. I was not standing overly close to the finger at the time and was wearing eye glasses but not mask. I cannot recall if my mouth was closed at the time and have a bad habit of bitting on my lip. However, I remember feeling wetness on my lip that tasted like my own saliva (i feel like i would have recognized the difference had it been patients pus). I didn't realize the situation could have been pus before I rebite my lip. I completely recognize my paranoia but I can't shake the feeling of a potential exposure and whether it is worth bringing up. I feel like I am losing my mind and making more out of nothing. I didn't see the patients fluid necessarily fly at my mouth or taste anything unusual.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

If you didn't feel anything land on you it's unlikely anything did. If you know you have a habit of biting your lip and didn't taste anything but saliva, that's the likeliest possibility. Did you know the patient to be positive for anything significant? Was the finger cultured?

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The site I am at is the jail system. Patient is not a known IVDU and denies history of HIV, liver disease etc. That is all the info I had. Finger was not cultured (jail system...). Trying to cope with my paranoia about potential contact.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Hmmm...probably best to report "possible" exposure to your Occ health dept

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Specializes in Oncology.

It sounds like you're being paranoid, to be perfectly honest

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Hep C exposure via mucous membranes is pretty rare and has only been documented a few times. I think I read a Turkish studying regarding a few HCA MM transmissions.

HIV transmission rate via a mucous membrane like that is almost nil.

Chill lol. If you are indeed worried, report it to employee health.

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Report 'possible pus on possible lip wound'. That just sounds so idk...:yuck: but to some nurses it's also kind of :roflmao: You gotta quit doing this.:cheeky:It leads to this...:scrying::dead:

Hopefully you'll be just fine. Job hazards! Thanks for sharing. :coffee:

Guess it probably goes without saying that next time you'll look like this! :bag:

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