Needle Stick :-(

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology.

About a week and a half ago, I stuck myself when trying to use a syringe to put a patient's blood into a specimen tube. Today I got the lab results and everything is negative, but they told me that I show NO immunity to Hep B. They said that I may just have a natural immunity to Hep B, I'm supposed to go tomorrow and get the immunization again. Have any of you run into this before?

:penguin:

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Specializes in Orthosurgery, Rehab, Homecare.

Sorry to hear about your accident. That's why I HATE it when I have to get the blood in the tube that way. I'm glad your first tests were (-). The first time I got the Hep-B immunization series, I didn't show immunity on the titer drawn about 4 years later. The MD that did the titer said that sometime you can be immune but not have enough antibodies "floating around" to test (+) on titer. I got the series again and a titer drawn about 6 months after and was OK. I wish you the best.

~Jen

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Specializes in Educator.

it's not uncommon. you'll probably have to do the series again and then another titer 2 months after you finish the series. there is a small percentage (about 7-10%) who don't develop antibodies. if you go through a second series and don't develop ab then you don't get the series again.

sorry you had a stick- i know the feeling!

be sure you keep all your followup appts-

:paw:

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Specializes in NA, Stepdown, L&D, Trauma ICU, ER.
About a week and a half ago, I stuck myself when trying to use a syringe to put a patient's blood into a specimen tube.

Sorry about your stick! That's why I hated drawing blood off picc lines. I mean, sure, the labs were drawn when they were supposed to be instead of 2 hours late, but still... Haven't done it that way since I had a HIV and Hep C+ patient. No way was I doing the "push and pray" needle into the tube thing with her. I went digging in the supply room and found art line vacutainers. They have a special end for going into the a-line, but it can come off. That leaves a luer lock end that fits very nicely into the positive pressure valve on our lines. I'd flush my line, put on the vacutainer, draw off a waste tube and then get my blood. 3 months after I started doing that, our nurse educators found 'angel wings'. They're just like the vacutainers the lab uses (and the art line ones I'd been using, only without the art line part) but they only have the end for the valves. If your facility doesn't have the angel wings, try to dig around and find something that will work in a pinch. When they start going through $$$$$ for odd ball blood supplies, they'll figure out it's better to get something designed for the job. Good luck

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology.

Thanks so much for your replies. I'll never draw that way from a PICC again. I made sure that the supply room is STOCKED with angel wings!

Lori

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Hiya

I am amongst that 7 to 10 % that don't respond. I had two full series and never converted(showed antibodies). I have to show proof that i've been through the two series and am a non converter whenever i change employers.

As so far they have all required proof of immunity or proof of being a non responder.

I am just SUPER careful with all i do.

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