needle stick

[pedrn]

: Hi. I have been a nurse since 1999 today is the first day it has ever happened to me. I was putting the needle in the sharps and I looked down and I had a prick mark where the needle had stuck me. I do not know if it happened when I took the needle cap off to give the immunization or after. I was honest and told the monm(it was a 4 year old getting thier school shots). She was very understanding and forgiving. She herself is a nurse so she knows accidents happen. I felt so bad. especially since I do not know when the needle stick happened. I am not really worring about catching anything because I know the parents and it was just a child, I feel worse that I dont know if it happened before or after I gave the immunizations. I just had a baby so I was test for HIV, and all that stuff. Everything was negative but you still worry. I cried and cried. The mom called me three times at work to make sure I was ok. I am so glad it happened to a understanding family. Please write and let me know if anything like this has happened to you. Does anyone know the chances of catching anything from needle sticks? Thanks in advance for your help.

[milky]

Here's a weird one!! I got a needle stick BEFORE injecting the patient, otherwise known as a "clean" needle stick. But! Theres a twist! I had just drawn up 10units R insulin. Another nurse came along and bumped my arm and I stuck myself "giving" myself about 4units. Long story short... incident report written up etc etc.... well I happen to be hypoglycemic.... about 15 min later I start feeling REALLY CRAPPY!! Well just shortly after the stick I drank some OJ just in case... didn't help...This was 7-3 shift I was doing the 11:30 accuchek I on the otherhand have a bad habit of not eating breakfast!!! I checked my own accucheck it was 48!!! I start getting diaphoretic and dizzy etc... so I drank a coke and a snickers bar plus my lunch I brought that day even though it was hard cause I was feeling nauseous. Eventually my bloodsugar got up to 108 and I started feeling better. Only advise I can give is be really super careful BEFORE DURING AND AFTER giving injections!!

[SheriLynnRN]

My other friend on the other hand was collecting blood off a piccline using a needle and somehow during the procedure accidently stuck her self. No that was serious since it was direct contact with blood but she was ok too.

Our facility has vacutainer adapters that luer-lock to the ports on piccs, central lines and port-a-caths. The only thing you have to do is pop the blood tube into the adapter. Some nurses use the syringe and needle method, but I absolutely refuse to put myself in a situation where I am brandishing a needle attached to a syringe full of blood. A lot of times, I'm sure I've caused some grief by demanding (unrelentingly) that the adapters always be stocked on the unit, but this is my life we're talking about.