Needlesticks

CIRQL8 · May 17, 2007

I've gotten splashed in the eye from foley urine and stuck with clean needles - never been stuck with a blade or a dirty needle. Happens alot. More than is reported, truthfully. You go through the testing - they take your blood and the patient's blood - and you wait. Chances of getting anything are pretty slim overall, but there ARE documeted occurences. More likely to get something if you are stuck with a body-fluid filled hollow bore needle than if you are stuck with say, a suture needle or a blade. It is more scary, however, if the contamination is from an individual known to be HIV+ or have a Hx of Hep-C.

Just take proper precautions (we all know them) and don't fret until there's something to fret about!!

fultzymom · May 17, 2007

I had a needle stick from an insulin needle. It happened about 2 1/2 years ago. I had just given it, went to slide up the shield et somehow stuck myself. I had to go to the ER et get all the blood draws, then had to go out to Occ. Health during business hours to get seen by that doc for workman's comp reasons. Big pain in the butt but everything was ok. They also drew labs on the patient.

olol765 · May 17, 2007

I got stuck with a dirty insulin syring too!! Another pt bumped me as I was trying to slide the shield up and I stuck myself in the thumb. I didn't tell anyone until the next day and from what they told me that wasy very WRONG!! I had to get tested... I should've gone back for retesting but we tested the pt and she was negative for HIV, Hep B & C....

TazziRN, RN · May 17, 2007

Too many to count. I've also had a pt puke in my face. So far I've been lucky and I have not contracted anything.

samaletta · May 17, 2007

7 weeks left of nursing school and I stuck myself with a used insulin needle. I was terrified. I cried. I left clinical and went to the ER to be tested for HIV and Hep C. The woman's daughter was contacted to get consent to have the woman tested as well. Her results came back negative the following week. The results should have come back sooner, this is something that upset me, there was a lot of delay and confusion because they did not have a police and procedure with needlestick exposures pertaining to students, only employees.

I knew that she was a very low risk client, but I was still very scared. You can't just "tell" if they have something or not. During the week's wait I was pretty nervous and didn't even have sex with my boyfriend:(

chuck1234 · May 18, 2007

I got 2 of them and two weeks apart. It happened when I was an LPN.

It was scary.

The good thing is...I was working in a nursing home where I only deal with low risk patients...mainly geriatric.

I learn from mistake and now I am very careful.

prowlingMA · May 18, 2007

Have had a few "clean" needle stcks. Luckily no contaminated sticks. I have had blood on hand too many times to count.

Having done LTC had too many bodily floids exposures to last a life time.

luvkitties · May 18, 2007

Never had a needlestick (God willing), but I got blood in an open cut on my hand...they tested the pt (neg for hep C/HIV), and I continue to be tested with negative results. Count your blessings!!!

sphinx, BSN, RN · May 19, 2007

Was a nurse 10 years before I got my first stick from a used needle a few months ago. I was drawing blood using a butterfly needle from a sweet little old nun with lousy veins. I missed and went to put the needle in the sharps box, but for the first time since I'd started using needles with shields, I failed to shield it. It would have been no big deal, except that when I went to turn the knob for it to fall in, the tubing caught and it didn't go in and sure enough I reached up and jabbed myself. I had to go to employee health and be tested, was ok.

The stick I most remember though was a couple years ago, a clean stick. I was working in the ICU and had a syringe with a pre-attached needle. I go to uncap it, and you know how if you are not paying attention or rushing you can pull up too hard and your hand bounces back and you get poked with the needle? Well, I did that and BAD! It hurt so bad, I couldn't figure out why, I pulled out a wad of 4x4 gauze and held it on, then noticed I was still bleeding a puddle of blood on the floor! Turns out I had nicked my index finger, my ring finger, and stuck it straight through my poor little pinky finger (in and out!). Youch! I was never so happy to have a sedated patient cuz I sat there on a stool in the room and held pressure for ages before it stopped. Luckily I wasn't doing any care when it happened, I was on the opposite side of the room just starting to get stuff ready, and the clean up ended up mostly on the floor. Ouchies.

TazziRN, RN · May 19, 2007

The worst one I ever had was when I was drawing up Mannitol with a filter needle. I was moving quickly, had a pt going south and was mxing a drip. I moved to jab the stopper on the bottle and harpooned my finger instead. Ever looked at the end of a filter needle? Like a razor blade!! Came close to needing a stitch to stop the bleeding.

TrudyRN · May 19, 2007

7 weeks left of nursing school and I stuck myself with a used insulin needle. I was terrified. I cried. I left clinical and went to the ER to be tested for HIV and Hep C. The woman's daughter was contacted to get consent to have the woman tested as well. Her results came back negative the following week. The results should have come back sooner, this is something that upset me, there was a lot of delay and confusion because they did not have a police and procedure with needlestick exposures pertaining to students, only employees.
I knew that she was a very low risk client, but I was still very scared. You can't just "tell" if they have something or not. During the week's wait I was pretty nervous and didn't even have sex with my boyfriend:(

Gee, no sex for a week. Wait til you get married and don't have it for months. JK, LOL