Needlestick injury very scared

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I am a new nurse (LPN) and have only been working for 7 months now, and I'm mid twenty's. Last Friday I was performing a routine blood draw on a 70y/o patient with a large bore needle and after receiving little flashback i pulled out. Then the patient's table started to topple over because they kicked it so without thinking I went to steady it... before pushing the safety cap up on the needle. I stuck myself deep in my forefinger, milked it, and washed with soap and water. I was tested immediately but didn't worry too much because they had one sexual partner their whole life and had no risky behaviors. Two days ago I was informed they tested positive for Hep C. They had gotten blood products years ago before hep C testing was mandatory for donor blood, and had never mentioned it to their doctor here. Ever since then I haven't been eating, I've cried maybe ten times, and I haven't slept for over 24 hours. I'm so so scared and I'm in the middle of a busy school semester in an RN program. I haven't told my mom yet because she will freak out and stress me out even more. My sister knows and she started a prayer chain at her church, which makes me feel a little better. I've had the RNA test and the antibody test on my blood, and I know it's too soon for anything to show up but I have an appointment this Friday to view the results. My anxiety is so high I'm thinking about calling into work sick tomorrow until I know my results. Does anyone have anything comforting for me right now?

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Easy for me to say "don't worry about it" but hard to do.

I think I would call in just because you admit you haven't slept in 24 hours.

Here's some info I found:

Unlike hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C is not efficiently transmitted from a needlestick. The average rate of seroconversion (changing from hepatitis C antibody negative to hepatitis C antibody positive) after an occupational exposure to HCV positive blood is about 1.8%, but has ranged as high as 7-10% in some studies. This risk is highest with hollow-bore needles.

Needlestick exposure and Hepatitis C

Here's more info from the CDC:

Hepatitis C and Health Care Personnel

What is the risk for HCV infection from a needlestick exposure to HCV-contaminated blood?

After a needlestick or sharps exposure to HCV-positive blood, the risk of HCV infection is approximately 1.8% (range: 0%–10%).

CDC DVH - HCV FAQs for Health Professionals

So with these statistics in mind, I think you can sleep tonight - 1.8% is really really low.

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thank you that does help. right now I'm trying not to think about it much until my appointment.

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https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/worst-case-scenario-588291.html

This thread has a happy ending! Hope it gives you some peace!

hang in there!

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Please do not panic. I know it is hard, but dig in your heels and calm down and pray. I have had a total of four needlestick injuries, one when I was a CNA before I was an RN, and three since becoming an RN. One was a lancet when I checked blood sugar as a CNA; the patients was a widow who had had a CVA so it was doubtful she had anything anyway. Another was on a locked unit where one patient took insulin--she did have Hepatitis C, according to her chart, but I have been OK. The next one was when I was giving flu shots and the guy agreed to be tested; they put me on that Combivir until we got the results back and it made me terribly ill. The last time, exactly one week before I was going to be able to give blood again, I was giving flu shots and I ran into a used syringe in my car that had somehow poked out of the sharps container, and we did not know whose it was. In each case, I immediately bled out the finger and washed my hands, which the doctor said makes a hugedifference. The amount of blood in a syringe is very small and the chances are not large that you would get anything. Did they give you gamma globulin? Probably they will recheck your blood later. Stay calm and I will pray for you also. Linda in TX.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

:hug:......We're here, the incidence of infection is very low as trauma r us said. Stay calm and my prayers :loveya:

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