Needlestick-from IV tubing

Sharon · Nov 24, 2003

Chances are rare that you would have gotten enough HIV viral material from a port to get an exposure. You still should follow up on the HIV post exposure protocols. More importantly watch the Hep B and Hep C which is a more likely scenario because it requires so much less viral material then HIV to contract the disease.

Have you heard of the swimming pool analogy? This is used to explain difficult it is to contract HIV and so easy to contract Hep B. Takes one cc of blood from an infected HIV patient and mixed it with the water from an Olympic size swimming pool. Then draw up one cc from the swimming pool and inject into people until all of the water is gone. No one would get HIV.

Now draw up one cc of blood from a patient with Hep B and mix it with the same amount of water. Every one you inject from the second pool will get Hep B.

1sweetnurse · Nov 24, 2003

Thanks thats very reassuring, I am following the HIV protocal, but they havent mentioned a HEp protocal, i have had the Hep b imminizations, is this the one you are speaking of?

Thanks

Mimi2RN, ASN, RN · Nov 25, 2003

I agree, your chance of exposure is very low. Was the patient tested for HIV after your needlestick?

Do you have safety equipment, like needles and IV catheters in your facility? It's a state law in California, everything we use has to have some method of covering the needle. Our IV tubing is also meant to be needless, although I sometimes see people using them with IV pushes.

It doesn't take much to get a needlestick. I once was stuck when I put a needle in the sharps container. A used syringe was poking out of the sharps container that I used, which was attached to the wall about 5 ft above the foor. Of course, there was no way of knowing when the needle had been used, but it had been at least the day before, so HiV was not a factor.

CCU NRS · Nov 25, 2003

re Hep after you had the Hep B series were you checked for presence of antibodies? If you had a positive titer then you are safe from Hep B, Hep C on the other hand is still questionable. Don't sweat it but they ned to test the Pt too don't let them forget that.

LisaRN2B · Nov 25, 2003

1sweet nurse posted on another thread that the pt was +HIV. I am wondering, too whether they tested for Hep. :confused:

Sharon · Nov 25, 2003

I just completed work on a Hep C pharmacology study and roll out. The occasional Hepatologist is using alpha interferon 2a and 2b as an off label post exposure prophylaxis if a patient tests positive for Hep C and Hep B. These are both injectable drugs and require the co-commitment use of Ribavirin which has significant side effects.

BucklandRN · Aug 23, 2004

hello
is it possible to get HIV aften giving meds through IV tubing. I was giving the med through the 2nd port from the patient on the tubing and when i took the needle out i pricked my finger with it. I know the needle didn't actually touch the patients blood, but could the fluid of been contaminated with the patients blood. I reported this to supervisor, and am taking the post exposure meds. but i am worried sick about it. what do u guys think about it Thanks for you opinions.

BucklandRN · Aug 23, 2004

hello
is it possible to get HIV aften giving meds through IV tubing. I was giving the med through the 2nd port from the patient on the tubing and when i took the needle out i pricked my finger with it. I know the needle didn't actually touch the patients blood, but could the fluid of been contaminated with the patients blood. I reported this to supervisor, and am taking the post exposure meds. but i am worried sick about it. what do u guys think about it Thanks for you opinions.
Hi, I know it's hard not to worry, but think of it this way whats done is done and its all part of the job. Thats what a doctor told me when I got stuck giving a fellow employee an imitrex injection. The funny thing is that I wasn't even authorized to give the injection so you know I was a mess. Anyhoo the md told me that if I planned a career in nursing that these things are part of the job. He also said that usually anything larger that a 3/10 cc needle is probably more dangerous but its very rare that the caregiver contracts anything through a needlestick. he says hes been stuck many times which was horrifying to hear. It is possible that there were microscopic amounts of blood though. I dont know how big your needle was though.....