Needle Stick Icu/ccu

[kampartist]

Lucky me, had a patient that comes down from a step down floor, with a temp of 91(report given to me the nurse only took an axillary!, and failed to take a rectal after 4 hours) But that is another story! Anyways transferred down hooked up to a zoll and Cardiac monitor, intubated on diprivan,levophed and dopamine and still unpredicatble to sedate fully due to blood pressure, drawing blood jerked and bang hit in my thumb dirty needle through my glove HIV and Hep C +, went to the ER they werent concerned drew some blood . No prophylaxis offered follow up in employee health. What are people thoughts on this?

[Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN]

Wow! Sorry to hear about that.

Hope all goes well.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

isn't that illegal or something?

check your policy and chase 'em down if you have to--it could mean your life.

and please check out the cdc's website:

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/

from there, see this:

if you experienced a needlestick injury or are managing occupational exposures, click here

and good luck--may all your tests for these diseases be negative.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

In our hospital - you have three hours to report to the ER or Occ Health (during their hours) and receive prophylaxis. We use the three-drug combo and give it for the full 28 days. We also offer immunoglobulin. I would definitely be at the ER Unit Manager's office! Then, I would take it to Occ Health because they need to educate the staff. Good luck...

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

Where's your facility protocol? I'd track that sucker down right now.

[Dinith88]

Your ER-staff and hospital-policy-people need spanked on their respective orifices! The drug-combo is usually started ASAP and given in the ER. I agree with the other posters...I'd look into this and get some answers...

Someone is either WAY at fault (ER/occ. health) or your hospital is WAY in the dark regarding proper procedure (and potentially liable).