Infected Needlestick

Go to the CDC website. The risk of HIV infection from a single (needlestick) bloodborne pathogen exposure is very small--0.3% if the source is HIV positive. Hep B virus is somewhat higher--6%-30%, depending on HBeAB. However, as a health care worker, you have likely received Hep B vaccine and are immune. Hep C risk from a single exposure is 1.8%. The numbers don't matter, but you can look it up on CDC. Be sure to have your follow up labs at 6 weeks, 3 months and 12 months. If this should ever happen again, RUN, don't walk to your supervisor and be seen by your medical provider within one hour of the needlestick. HIV chemoprophylaxis is elected, it ideally should be started within 1-2 hours following the needlestick.

In our clinic we usually do not recommend HIV chemoprophylaxis unless the patient requests it. It has significant side effects, and the risk of infection is low. That is a decision for you and your PCM to make together.

Your charge nurse was wrong, per Occupational Health guidelines. You should have seen a provider immediately.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. Sending prayers your way. From the other posts, I think you will be just fine. What a nightmare for you to have to deal with.

I was stuck with a needle that hadn't been capped and was sticking out of the sharps box that was too full. There was no way of knowing what pt that needle was in. So I was sent to our ER while at work as was started on combivier and having blood work done. Thus far everything is okay and I'm going for my 6 month appt in a couple of weeks. The doctor didn't seem to worried at my last appt, but it's still a pretty frightening experience.

I'm sorry you have to go through this

Lifting you up in prayer!

Dear BlessedRN, This is my first time to post, but I feel it's important enough to finally register. I'm so sorry you had this incident. As a new RN in a clinical setting, I too, once had a needlestick. The thing is, you were trying so hard to be alert and careful. It is extremely unlikely that you will ever have a problem from this. But, you won't be able to donate blood for a year. I will pray that you feel God's peace daily and are able to ignore any dumb comments that people may make. Remember, Jesus once actually TOUCHED a leper, which was extremely taboo at that time.

I wonder about other issues of needle sticks. One nurse got stuck in the thumb after giving an IM shot to a patient that had stomach cancer. ( His brother had recently died from stomach cancer as well) The needle went deep into her thumb , when she attempted to dispose of it in the sharps container. Now 10 years later, she has stomach cancer. No cancer of any type in her family history. So I wonder if this CA was not transfered to her thru the dirty needle. Over the years since the needle stick, labs for Hep A,B,C and HIV have been negative. Just curious if this could happen.

How scary! I'm sorry you're going through this, but glad to hear you're being monitored so closely and treated so aggressively. (I'm sure your tummy has it's protests about the treatment, but it will have it just make due for now!) Keep your chin up sweetie.

I got stabbed in the hand by a bloody liver biopsy needle thoughtfully concealed in the drapes by a resident, "found" when I was cleaning up. As the patient was as yellow as a pumpkin I got the hepatitis prophylaxis (which was known not to be remotely foolproof). It's been many years now and although the latency for Hep C and associated liver cancer is about 30 years I think I'm clear.

HOWEVER. I still see students (and nures who should know better) who assume that they should be extra-careful around "homeless, dirty" people. When HIV was first discovered I was working in the hospital where universal (now standard) precautions were first invented and enforced, and I want to tell you that if you start stratifying your care like that you will be fooling yourself and cheating your patients. EVERYONE is potentially infectious; a lot of blood-borne disease is not diagnosed until well after it is communicable, and the sweetest little apple-cheeked granny or blonde cherub may have picked up something nasty along the way, where the down-and-outer may not have. EVERYONE can carry a blood-borne disease, and you'd better make sure your guard isn't down when you care for anyone.

Don't know whether that story of the nurse getting cancer after a needle stick is real, an urban myth, or one of those FOAF (friend-of-a-friend) stories that can never be really tracked down; it sounds apocryphal to me and I have never, ever heard any such thing from a reputable source. When you think of how many people have undiagnosed cancer but give blood, you can see how unlikely this is.

I will keep you in my prayers.

Hi Guys! as you can see I had to tweak my username because I could not get back in with my previous name! I just wanted to update you guys and let you know that at my 6 weeks appointment I was Hep C and HIV negative Whoohoo!! and at my 3 month appointment I was HIV negative!! I thank God for His tender mercies and I thank all of you guys for your prayers and kind words! Of course I still have a 6 month and 9 month appointment but I know God will see me through that as well! Thanks again guys and provided I dont get locked out for eternity again I will keep you updated!