Bit by a patient...

Nurses Stress 101

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So may seem naive when it comes to this. However, been in the healthcare field 8 year's been punched and scratched. However, never had skin broken.

So earlier in the week a patient bit me broke skin. Very small cuts like the size of a needle. Since it was off shift hours had to go to the E.R. Saw by a P.A. and they sent me home for a day.

Mid week had a few issues. So I was bit by a tick around Wednesday. I started to have chills, hot flashes, and become diaphretic. Also rashes on my neck, brachial area of my arm's, around the tick bite, and my lower back. Removrd the tick took a Bendaryl had a rash around the bite area for 48 hours. Also for 72 hours from having the tick bite off and on bouts of being sweaty, headaches, neck pain, throat pain/scratchy throat. Random flares of small rashes appearing mainly on the trunk area of my body.

Now I called the Doctor and being Easter Weekend going to see him Monday. Not sure if all this waa associated with the tick bire, from the 2,000mg antibiotic on, or from the bite.

He is probably going to order blood work for Lyme. Someone mentioned I should also get tested for Hepatitis due to being bit.

I never thought about having blood work done initially and thought well if work says I am okay I am okay. As the week progressed like I would like to know.

Think it is wrong if ivaskrd work to reimburse me for having my blood tested for Hepatitis?

Also should I make a big deal that work didn't test the patient for any infectious diseases?

Appreciate the insight and feedback.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

It would be worth it to find out what the protocol is where you work for exposure to body fluids and then see if that protocol was followed.

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Hope your okay yeah definitely get a blood test best be safe than sorry. Also what did your manager do when she found about this incident?

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
So may seem naive when it comes to this. However, been in the healthcare field 8 year's been punched and scratched. However, never had skin broken.

So earlier in the week a patient bit me broke skin. Very small cuts like the size of a needle. Since it was off shift hours had to go to the E.R. Saw by a P.A. and they sent me home for a day.

Mid week had a few issues. So I was bit by a tick around Wednesday. I started to have chills, hot flashes, and become diaphretic. Also rashes on my neck, brachial area of my arm's, around the tick bite, and my lower back. Removrd the tick took a Bendaryl had a rash around the bite area for 48 hours. Also for 72 hours from having the tick bite off and on bouts of being sweaty, headaches, neck pain, throat pain/scratchy throat. Random flares of small rashes appearing mainly on the trunk area of my body.

Now I called the Doctor and being Easter Weekend going to see him Monday. Not sure if all this waa associated with the tick bire, from the 2,000mg antibiotic on, or from the bite.

He is probably going to order blood work for Lyme. Someone mentioned I should also get tested for Hepatitis due to being bit.

I never thought about having blood work done initially and thought well if work says I am okay I am okay. As the week progressed like I would like to know.

Think it is wrong if ivaskrd work to reimburse me for having my blood tested for Hepatitis?

Also should I make a big deal that work didn't test the patient for any infectious diseases?

Appreciate the insight and feedback.

Ask your doc - sounds a bit like a reaction to the tick bite - I have had them before. It's a bit soon to seroconvert antibodies to hepatitis but there's no harm in checking. If negative get checked again in 60 months. Just curious how did you get bit by a patient "Off shift hours" It's always easier to test the patient. Which should have been ordered through Employee health.

Hppy

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We can't give you medical advice here, so hopefully your Occ Health people are taking good care of you. I can point you to general information below.

It's possible to get hep B or hep C or even HIV from a bite....the incubation period for hep C is between 2 weeks and several months, though, and it doesn't typically cause the sx you describe. Hopefully you're vaccinated against hep B? Most health care workers are required to be vaccinated, at least where I've worked. I agree with the above poster, it's always easier to test the patient, and hopefully Occ Health will assist you.

CDC info on viral hepatitis: Division of Viral Hepatitis Home Page | Division of Viral Hepatitis | CDC

Risk for tick borne diseases varies a LOT depending on the type of tick and where it came from. Even within the same state, there are sometimes big differences due to elevation, geography, etc. Here in Arizona there is not a significant risk for Lyme disease because it's too dry for the ticks capable of carrying it (despite the claims of many quacks peddling expensive treatments for "chronic Lyme"), but in some specific areas we do have a different type of ticks which carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever. You can always check with an epidemiologist at your friendly public health department about what circulates among your local tick friends :)

If you ARE in an area with risk for Lyme, be warned that there is a lot of hogwash floating around on the internet about testing and treatment. The CDC has reliable information on testing here: Two-step Laboratory Testing Process| Lyme Disease | CDC

Try not to Google yourself into a freakout, and get Occ Health to work with you. Hope you feel better!

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.

When I worked inpatient mental health, our protocol for any skin break was lab testing for HIV and hepatitis immediately and at one and six months. I was never bitten, thank goodness, but I did have a couple of skin breaks from scratches in restraint situations.

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