Have you ever "caught" anything from your patients?

2ndCareerRN · Jun 3, 2003

Boopchick,

Did you used to work in Spokane, WA ? They recently had a whopper of a scabies outbreak in a hospital there.

bob

P_RN, ADN, RN · Jun 4, 2003

I think I got mycoplasma pneumonia from a guy we were transferring to another hospital. He was extremely tall so I was at the head of the stretcher supposting and protecting his head. His feet also hung over the end. Anyway it was cold, cold weather and this dude COUGHS right in my face. Within 2-3 days I was dog sick and needed 6 weeks of ABX, steroids high dose, multiple CXR and still have scarring in my lung tissue. BAD time for me.

pwp1289 · Jun 25, 2003

had close scare with scabies--all employees who worked anywhere/any shift when that pt was on unit had to be treated--very embarrassing when i had to hand my boyfriend(now husband) a bottle of lindane!!!!!!! when i was younger i was always the one to bring home measles,chix pox and german measles so i am extra careful with universal precautions--new grandson at home!!!!!

nowplayingEDRN · Jun 25, 2003

Picked up a positive PPD and a case of community aquired pneumonia.......but that is all.

roxannekkb · Jun 25, 2003

A nurse I worked with caught herpes from a patient--a neonate! She had an ugly outbreak all over her neck. It was the strangest thing.

I've been lucky, considering the populations I've worked with.

boopchick · Jun 25, 2003

Originally posted by 2ndCareerRN
Boopchick,

Did you used to work in Spokane, WA ? They recently had a whopper of a scabies outbreak in a hospital there.

bob

No this was in Massachusetts.

redshiloh · Jun 25, 2003

I personally believe that if they cultured from under nurses' fingernails and our urine there would be a great many positives.

I think a lot of us are colonized with VRE, MRSA etc and just don't know it!

kids · Jun 25, 2003

I fought with MRSA pneumonia for 2 months in 1994.

I worked on a long term trach/vent unit with several colonized patients. It was a pretty safe assumption I caught it at work as it was very rare in the community then, however it took 4 years of appeals to get reimbursed for lost wages by L&I (the state supported the claim, the employer rejected it).

Luckily MRSA had fewer resistances "back then" but the logistics of doing IV Gent & Vanco at home were a bigger nightmare than the infection. (Once had the Pharmacy for the company supplying my meds tell me to give myself less of the bags I had on hand rather than their mixing up a new batch to deliver and have to pick up the old dose to destroy)

karenG · Jun 25, 2003

my flatmate caught meningoccocal menigitis (have I spelt that right?) when working in ITU- so we were all put on sick and give abs to take!! lovely!

Karen

oramar · Jun 25, 2003

I am certain I have, at least I suspected it. Had a very bad case of pneumonia shortly after I took care of COPD patient with pneumonia. Guess what, they cultured the same thing out of me that they had out of him. I think it was one of those pneumonias that healthy people would not pick up. Since I have lung problems I was susceptible. Up until then I had a mild asthma, after that I was never the same. Lungs have been a much bigger problem ever since.

mystc42 · Jun 25, 2003

Nothing more than the common cold or flu. And hopefully that will be all, but we never know.....

NancyB,LPN · Jun 25, 2003

The only thing I ever caught from one of my patients was (and still is) a case of insanity! Universal precautions and alcohol gel!!!