Injury at work. Help!

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Aug 16, 2016

How would you contract it? Because you were in the same room? You didn't needlestick yourself. You got cut on a piece of glass. Unless the patient's blood was on that piece of broken glass, you are safe.

Scared_nurse · Aug 16, 2016

Thanks for your reply. The reason I am worried is because I don't know if the patients blood was on it and I worry that there was!

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Aug 16, 2016

Would be unlikely that the patient's blood was on an ampule piece, since the nurse would draw up the medication with a clean needle and then administer it.

Regardless we cannot advise you of what was on the ampule, only the nurse that administered the drug can. I would contact your nurse manager and go from there. We have no way of knowing what your risk is.

Don't ever be embarrassed of an injury at work, stuff happens. I lacerated my finger opening a large ampule and needed sutures, I felt like an idiot, but of course had to report it. Be safe!

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 16, 2016

To begin with, you, as a health care provider, should be vaccinated against hep b.

If you're that worried, you may go to any primary care location and get "emergency prophylaxis" with immunoglobulin (and start vaccination as well, if it was not done before). But, unless there was free blood on that glass, you are pretty safe.

roser13, ASN, RN · Aug 16, 2016

We cannot give you medical advice. But you do need to fill out an Incident Report at work, even after the fact. That will give you access to medical advice & treatment.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Aug 16, 2016

Hi, I am a first year RN working in a busy emergency department. I was cleaning a patient table, between patients a few weeks ago (without gloves on) and cut myself on a tiny piece of glass that was left on the table (from a broken ampule-looked like frusemide) The glass was stuck in my finger, I pulled it out and let it bleed while running it under water. I didn't tell anyone at the time as I was embarressed. The patient who had just left from that bed, was being treated for hep b. I'm so scared now that I am going to contract this disease. I am having bad anxiety, cry, and can't sleep at night. What should I do now? I think it's too late to say anything at work.
In addition, the week after I was cut, I got sick with a cold/flu like symptoms, and last week I had on and off diarrhoea. Is this a bad sign?

You haven't been vaccinated against Hep B?

There is no logical reason why the patient's blood would be on a glass ampule. Your risk is so low as to be statistically insignificant. The anxiety, insomnia, and crying is completely out of proportion to your risk. Are you always anxious? Addressing that should be a priority imo.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Aug 16, 2016

What to do:

1 call manager & employee health and file incident report.

2. Get vaccinated against HepB if you haven't already

3. Get assistance for your extreme anxiety reaction that appears to be disproportional to the issue. Your scenario as described has less than negligible risk of transmission of BBP like HepB. Hepatitis B does not cause flu/viral syndrome symptoms and absolutely not a week or two post alleged exposure. The bad sign is your extreme overreaction.

The incubation period for hepatitis B post exposure is 90 days. Not immediately.

Learn the facts: HBV FAQs for Health Professionals | Division of Viral Hepatitis | CDC

YoutubeTheNP · Aug 16, 2016

Don't worry so much !! You should have filed a report right away since it occurred at work. Besides the point, you're risk of anything is quite low. You were probably vaccinated against Hep B in high school or college if you went to school in the US, unless your parents are one for those anti vaccinators.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Aug 16, 2016

Don't worry so much !! You should have filed a report right away since it occurred at work. Besides the point, you're risk of anything is quite low. You were probably vaccinated against Hep B in high school or college if you went to school in the US, unless your parents are one for those anti vaccinators.

In the US, I doubt any anti vax philosophy would work against the mandated Hep B vaccine or proof of immunity policies for US nursing schools and clinical facilities. I'm thinking the OP may be from and/or working in another country.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Aug 16, 2016

You need to review what you were taught. You're not going to "catch" Hep B. ALWAYS report an on the job injury. REVIEW!

Hi, I am a first year RN working in a busy emergency department. I was cleaning a patient table, between patients a few weeks ago (without gloves on) and cut myself on a tiny piece of glass that was left on the table (from a broken ampule-looked like frusemide) The glass was stuck in my finger, I pulled it out and let it bleed while running it under water. I didn't tell anyone at the time as I was embarressed. The patient who had just left from that bed, was being treated for hep b. I'm so scared now that I am going to contract this disease. I am having bad anxiety, cry, and can't sleep at night. What should I do now? I think it's too late to say anything at work.
In addition, the week after I was cut, I got sick with a cold/flu like symptoms, and last week I had on and off diarrhoea. Is this a bad sign?

DTWriter · Aug 17, 2016

As a new nurse, I sympathize with you, OP.

You KNOW that when something is wrong, you should say something; however -

Being a new nurse, it is hard, very hard to report some wrong at work. At one hand, if you do not complain, a problem can snowball. On the other hand, when you do complain, you have one foot out the door :unsure: It is harder when something wrong occurs at a place where you want to stay.

Meh. If you trust your manager/supervisor/leader, etc., go to him/her. If not, try a STI clinic that is not affiliated with your hospital. They may be able to direct you to where you can anonymously get treatment for Hep B exposure. The sooner, the better.