HIV needle stick

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I am beyond freaking out about this. I am a home health nurse. Out of all the people I have stuck, I get pricked by a HIV + patient's needle. I was being too careful. Does anyone know whats the chances of me actually contracting hiv fom this?? It didn't break skin, but for sure pricked me. :arghh:

Specializes in Pedi.
Though I am sorry that this happened, my question to you is "Why wasn't the safety engaged upon removal of the stylet/needle?"

Some needles that patients have in the home don't have safety devices. It's backwards, for sure, but I use needles on a regular basis in home health that don't have safeties. Most of them are subq, all the needles I use to draw blood have safeties.

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Specializes in Vascular Access.
Some needles that patients have in the home don't have safety devices. It's backwards, for sure, but I use needles on a regular basis in home health that don't have safeties. Most of them are subq, all the needles I use to draw blood have safeties.

If you are working for ANY company these days and that company is not investing in your safety, it would be a company that would long ago be in my rear view mirror! The company that does not provide you with appropriate safety needles (phlebotomy and insertion) will be in big trouble with OSHA if the company were to be reported.

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

I just read an article yesterday that there has only been one reported HIV transmission to a healthcare worker via needle stick since 1999. Not sure how accurate the article is, but it's kind of reassuring. But in your case, you needed to report this to your facility ASAP. I hope you did, so they can provide you with the proper prophylaxis protocol.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

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Specializes in Pedi.
If you are working for ANY company these days and that company is not investing in your safety, it would be a company that would long ago be in my rear view mirror! The company that does not provide you with appropriate safety needles (phlebotomy and insertion) will be in big trouble with OSHA if the company were to be reported.

We don't supply needles, they come from the specialty pharmacies the children get their injectable medications from. I can think of several different pharmacies that supply these patients with their syringes/needles and none of them supply safety needles for subq injections.

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