Got a needlestick

pie123----Know that my prayers are with you now while you "hurry up and wait" for the results!!! Luckily, I have never had a needlestick in 14 years as a nurse, but I have known plenty who have and I have been a shoulder for most of them to cry on!!! you are in my thoughts and prayers!!

hope everything comes out okay. I have been there and its unnerving. first one was the 1st weekend I was on my on in the ER. the other was a guy that smashed a picture in one of the examing rooms and tried to filet himself to death. another nurse and myself got pieces of glass under or gloves. both time I took the meds until cleared. didnt have the stat HIV tests back then. hang in there..

Been there, done that, never gotten anything. You'll be fine.

Try to remember that the risk from a insulin needle, especially after a subq inject., is practically zilch. I know "practically" zilch is not all that comforting when its you. Hang in there, let us know when everything comes back OK!:icon_hug:

Thank you all so much for the responses! It's nice to know that I have the support of my fellow nurses!

Even after I get the results, I was chatting with another infection nurse who told me that those initial results really mean nothing because it can take up to 12 weeks for anything to show up. Hence the retest in 12 weeks. I cannot remember how the retesting goes, it is 1 month, then 12 weeks? I thought I read somewhere that one is retested in 1 month. I can't remember. I just want this to be over and end well. Do I need to stress out for 12 weeks? I will not make it. Seriously, I will be in a mental facility.

I want to go back to being planning for our move and buying a new house with my husband and planning for my new job. I just want this to be over and end well.

Don't stress out, there is absolutely nothing you can do. The first test you had done is a baseline, to prove you are not already infected. The serials will be to check for conversion. HIV conversion from a needlestick, while it happens, is pretty rare. You're more at risk for Hep C, and the fact that you stuck yourself with a subcu needle lowers that risk even more.

I've been stuck so many times I've lost count, including with needles used with septic pts and one HIV positive pt. I've never contracted anything. Even if you do convert, there is absolutely nothing you can do to prevent it or take care of it until you get a test result, so why develop an ulcer now?

You have all this going for you:

1) small needle...subQ

2)low risk patient...no HX of Hep/or HIV

3)immediate treatment

4)education and awareness

Yes...this is stressful...the waiting. The news should be only good...because of the above...

I have been stuck lots of times in twenty years...only twice with a dirty needle...the two bad ones were from needle holders where they were too full, and I placed my hand on a needle sticking out of the needle holder slot that hadn't fallen completely inside the holder. These were "unknown" source needles...so it was treated as if they could be HIV or HEP infected needles....I did not take the coctail, until the results came back....which were both negative...so yes...the waiting is stressful...but you have learned a very REAL reality about our profession....WE HAVE A DANGEROUS JOB...

I hope and pray you are cleared.

Blessings,

CRNI

I hope everything works out for you.

keep us updated!! please

I've had one in eleven years. Dirty needle; sub q after giving an insulin injection. Everything came back negative. My husband is a high rise window cleaner and he thinks my job is more dangerous because of needle sticks.

I have been terrified, and going through a range of emotions: angry, crying, depressed. And I think to myself, "Man, this job is not worth having to deal with this."

The ER doctor told me that the risk of exposure is so low from this type of needlestick, that the risks of starting HIV meds outweighs the benefits. I confirmed this with the Infection Nurse, and she said the same. So now I just wait....which is the hardest!

I know exactly how you feel. I had a needlestick last year (only mine was from a Vacutainer, not insulin, needle) and I seriously thought about quitting my job in the medical field. Thankfully, I did decide to keep with what I was doing, and I'm glad now that I made that particular decision.

The waiting [for tests] is NOT fun, I know, and you'll be in my thoughts and prayers!