Have you reported each needlestick injury?

P_RN, ADN, RN · Apr 13, 2008

Yes, three. And yes gotta report them all. Plus one suture scissors. Or is it scissor? Anyway there was one in a desk drawer that apparently someone had opened to cut paper but I wasn't sure so report it I did.

justme1972 · Apr 13, 2008

One of the issues our instructor told us about is how some nurses are afraid to report needlesticks...if it's a patient that is considered "high risk" for HIV, then there is a supposed cocktail that a nurse can take that can drastically reduce the chances to just shy of zero, of an HIV transmission...but the side affects are supposedly horrific and last for 2 to 3 days.

I'm a student, so I don't know....I would probably be ok with taking my chances on a needlestick from a child (because this HIV status of a child should be known and parents will most likely not hide it) , but not a teen or an adult.

I read somewhere (no source to back it up) that HIV transmissions from a needlestick there is about a 1% chance of contracting HIV from that...now that's needlesticks....getting covered with blood or lanced by something in the OR may be different.

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2008

I've reported all dirty needlesticks I've had, and have not reported any of the clean needlesticks.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Apr 13, 2008

HIV isn't the only blood borne thing. Hepatitis is a BIGGIE too. Sorry but report them all.

Trauma Columnist · Apr 13, 2008

I have reported ALL dirty needle sticks. However, when I am stupid and puncture my finger or hand prior to leaving the med room, nope don't report those.

SillyStudent, ASN, RN · Apr 13, 2008

I reported my one dirty needle stick back in 1992. It was a Hep B patient and I was vaccinated, but I do not convert after vaccination for Hep B. (three hep B series now) They gave me several injections over a period of about 2 months and I never contracted the disease.

Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2008

I reported my needle stick and they put me on combavair and i had no side effects. After all my lab works were complete me and the patient were clean.

Story made simple. I was drawing blood and the patient paniced and moved his arm and my thumb went into the vacutainer holder and it broke my skin.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2008

Knock on wood. . . I have not yet experienced a needlestick injury.

Scrubby · Apr 13, 2008

I've reported every needlestick injury i have had. I've also been sliced with harmonic shears which hurt like hell.

Funnily enough, i'm doing a presentation on sharps injuries in the Operating Room next week. It's amazing how many alternatives there our on the market, yet our surgeons are quite resistant to change over to them, like safety scalpels. :uhoh21:

galenight, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2008

I have reported my dirty needle stick, but not the couple of sterile ones. Those darn insulin needles we had for some reason would go right through the cap (before we got the ones with the sleeve) and I stuck myself twice. Duh. I also once was dropping a needle before drawing anything up and out of reflex, went to go catch it (another duh!) and got stuck in the palm. Now, I just back up.. hands in the air... like I'm under arrest or something...lol

KaroSnowQueen, RN · Apr 13, 2008

Clean sticks in the med room, no. Why should I? There's no risk to myself, other than my own stupidity or clumsiness.

Dirty sticks, only had one (malfunctioning safety device on a Lovenox syringe), and reported it right off. Drew my blood, the patient's blood, and had repeated follow up blood tests even though the patient was negative. This was company policy, as the negative test on the patient theoretically could always be a recently infected one and wasn't showing up in the blood yet.

ALWAYS report a dirty stick - your health is not something to fool around with in this day and age.