Needle stick injury in Health Care

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I'm a new nurse and the other day I thought to take it upon myself to try and flush a double lumen PICC line. I attached the large bore needle onto the syringe to draw up my saline. Went into the residents room forgot to remove the needle before flushing the PICC line. I flushed the Picc line with the needle and withdrew it rapidly sticking my hand. The problem is the resident tested positive for Hep. C months earlier. Is it possible that the disease could have been transmitted to me just by flushing a picc line with Saline? I wouldn't think so but you never realize how paranoid you become until you accidentally stick yourself.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I stuck myself with an insulin needle right after giving a Hep C patient her insulin. I had to fill out an incident report etc. I can't remember anything else happening. I don't think I was tested or anything or if I was it was negative. Mine happened approx. 10 years ago or so.

Blessings, Michelle

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Nursing Education.

did you contact employee health

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Im a nursing student and I also work in the ER as a tech. One of my responsibilities is to clean instruments that have been used for suture removal or for suturing itself. After the dr. is finished we place our non disposable instruments in water that has disinfectant in it. I was in the process of scrubbing some scissors that had been soaking in the water no less than 8 hours and my hand slipped and poked thru my glove causing me to bleed! Im very freaked by this accident because I have no idea who these scissors were used on and if any viruses can stay on objects in water and disinfectant. So I kinda know what your going thru. Did you do the hospitals protocol for sticks?

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Im a nursing student and I also work in the ER as a tech. One of my responsibilities is to clean instruments that have been used for suture removal or for suturing itself. After the dr. is finished we place our non disposable instruments in water that has disinfectant in it. I was in the process of scrubbing some scissors that had been soaking in the water no less than 8 hours and my hand slipped and poked thru my glove causing me to bleed! Im very freaked by this accident because I have no idea who these scissors were used on and if any viruses can stay on objects in water and disinfectant. So I kinda know what your going thru. Did you do the hospitals protocol for sticks?

No I didn't I was so embarrassed that I did what happen was LPNs are not allowed to flush PICC line where I worked but I searched all over the building for a RN and had no luck well I didn't want to get behind and so I new how to flush it just as I had learned in School. Another LPN told me to just do it she does it all the time when she can't find an RN so I went to do and just about that time I heard someone walking through the door and I didn't want them to catch me doing something I wasn't suppose to be doing so I pulled the needle out quickly and it stuck into my left hand. I ran to the sink and kept making it bleed and ran it under hot water. But I didn't report it, I was afraid it would cost me my job!

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No I didn't because LPN's are not allowed to do flushes in our facility. I was unable to find an RN so an LPN told me to just do it that she does it all the time. So I did than I paniked because someone was walking through the door and I thought I was going to get caught and I accidentally stuck myself. So i didn't report it because I thought it might cost me my job. I did however run it under hot water and make it bleed

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Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.
no i didn't because lpn's are not allowed to do flushes in our facility. i was unable to find an rn so an lpn told me to just do it that she does it all the time. so i did than i paniked because someone was walking through the door and i thought i was going to get caught and i accidentally stuck myself. so i didn't report it because i thought it might cost me my job. i did however run it under hot water and make it bleed

and what have we learned from this about scope of practice and why the rules exist....?......?.......?:imbar

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Specializes in ICU/PCU/Infusion.
No I didn't I was so embarrassed that I did what happen was LPNs are not allowed to flush PICC line where I worked but I searched all over the building for a RN and had no luck well I didn't want to get behind and so I new how to flush it just as I had learned in School. Another LPN told me to just do it she does it all the time when she can't find an RN so I went to do and just about that time I heard someone walking through the door and I didn't want them to catch me doing something I wasn't suppose to be doing so I pulled the needle out quickly and it stuck into my left hand. I ran to the sink and kept making it bleed and ran it under hot water. But I didn't report it, I was afraid it would cost me my job!

You were taught to flush PICC lines with a needle? I find that had to believe.

I'm sorry you were stuck. I seriously doubt you are in any danger of contracting anything from your pt though. Your needle shouldn't have come into contact with any blood (other than yours).

And really, as the "new nurse", I wouldn't listen to what the other LPN's are telling you. That's the quickest way into trouble!! Just as you've experienced.

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Sorry this happened to you :(. Maybe you can see your private doctor about this. I know that you said that you did not want to go to Occ health. But for the future just make sure you are following the rules of the hospital and the scope of your practice. I know things get hectic but you have to think about your license and the policies and procedures of the hospital. If you were not taught how to care or flush a picc line or anything for that matter I would not do it. Picc lines from me experience and what I have been taught you do not use needles to flush a picc line. Sometimes it is ok to get behind especially if you are following policy and procedure and making sure you and the patient are safe. When you rush mistakes happen. A RN in the CICU told me this where I used to work and she was right.

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Any suggestions for me on my stick from scissors? Im freaking out as well!!:(

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You need to go to employee health right away. You don't need to tell everything about the circumstances surrounding your needle stick, but you need to have it on record that you were stuck with a needle that may have been contaminated with blood from a HCV patient.

If you do contract HCV from this stick, you will want to be financially backed up by your facility. Liver transplants can be very expensive. You will want to be able to prove that you contracted the virus on the job.

Also, what others have said about staying within your scope. A hard lesson learned.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Orthopedics, Hospitalists.

I agree, report it, both of you!

To mnt, all you have to do is report that you were stuck by a needle that had been used on a pt with a history of Hep C, just in case. Be careful, though! Don't hurt yourself practicing outside of your scope of practice just cause someone else told you too!

Scarcrimson - report it! Go to employee health, tell them what happened, and move on with your life. You should also write this up, this injury could help change this practice to something safer for you.

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