HIV+/hepC+ fingerstick

[sfrn90]

HI guys ! So...about a week and a half ago I was doing a blood draw on a hiv/hep c positive patient. i double gloved because i was already nervous -_-. i did the blood draw, and filled the chamber, he started moving I got nervous and just stopped and ended up poking myself, I just felt some pressure but no sting. I took off the gloves, and I didnt see anything, 5 seconds later a small spot of blood appeared and I washed my hands. I then started Truvada and Isentress. They actually gave me 3 of Truvada to take at once and no Isentress. The next day the MD told me they triple dosed me and I should have also taken Isentress, I was then given the right meds. Also, the next day we had an inservice on the new retractable blood draw needles -_-. I'm so scared, does anyone have experience with this?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I'm so scared, does anyone have experience with this?

I have no personal experience with tainted needle sticks, but I still wanted to let you know that I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I am so sorry you are going through this...we have all stuck ourselves.

However as per the TOS we cannot offer medical advice. Follow up with your PCP/employee health.

duplicate thread merged as per the TOS

[sfrn90]

Thanks :) just wondering if anyone else had experienced a similar needlestick. Thanks for keeping your fingers crossed. I appreciate it

[sfrn90]

I guess I should have said has anyone experienced this?

[RunBabyRN]

Double gloving? Exactly what does that do but tell the patient that you're uncomfortable??

I've drawn on hundreds of HIV and hep C patients, as I worked as a phleb before nursing school, and never had a stick from a single one. Never double gloved either.

The one stick I DID have was while I was in the military. We had a patient who presented with a ton of bizarre symptoms after being in Africa, and the nurse told me that all sharps were cleared from the tray. I went to clean it up, and sure enough, one went into my hand. Thankfully, no issues came from it. It's always someone with something bad, never the perfectly healthy patient getting routine blood work.

Remember that there's a minimum number of live viruses that have to be present in order for an actual infection to occur. You immediately washed your hands, went to the doctor, and took the proper steps, which should further reduce your risk.

I hope everything comes back clear!

[Wave Watcher]

I have worked with HIV/Hep C patients and have friends who are HIV+. No need to double glove. Sorry about your stick. Been there done that. All was fine.

[Delicate Flower]

I have heard that double gloving does decrease your risk if you get stuck. The 2 layers will wick away more of the infected sample, so less ends up inside you. Maybe that's a myth, but maybe not. I don't think throwing on an extra pair of gloves is a bad thing, if it makes you feel more comfortable. The patient won't necessarily even know. And I have a feeling if this man decided to move around while his infected blood was being drawn, he was probably too out of it to even know.

[sfrn90]

Hi :) Thanks for knowing somewhat where i was coming from. Yes he was a&ox0-1. Thats actually What the house sup told me too. Thank you all for the support

[MikeyBSN]

Hi there, you should know that the seroconversion rate for nurses suck with needles from an HIV + patient is very low - and that was before post-exposure prophylaxis. If the patient was on anti-retorviral therapy then that decreases your chances of seroconversion. Taking medication yourself also greatly decreases that chance that you will seroconvert. Overall... I think your chances of seroconversion are very, very slim. I hope this helps make you feel a bit better. Just keep an eye out and, in the worst case, get treatment quickly.