Published
Been there, done that... TWICE. One time had to do CPR single resquer with mask on a guy who turned out to be positive.
I know how scary it is... it is a blessing that you can get isoniazide quickly and nip it in the bud. And do not forget to ask every employer thereafter if they 1) know the patient's/family status, and 2) provide and ENFORCE using of PPD.
Try not to worry that much. It is a bit of pain in you know where, but definitely not the worst thing that ever happened. Plus, it is an excuse to eat better under premice of protecting your liver :)
The infection control nurse I shared an office with once said that if you've ever ridden on public transportation or sat in a movie theater you've been exposed to and infected by TB. I converted pretty floridly-- my whole forearm lit up like Times Square-- and I went on isoniazid and (I forget which B vitamin-- B6?) for six months. No idea what patient, could have been the subway. :) The good news is (as I am sure you'll want to discuss c your primary care) that this should do it for you assuming you don't have some immunosuppression going on. That was a lot of years ago and I haven't been asked yet to star in La Boheme or La Traviata.
Be sure to have your household tested, and have the agency (they should be proactive in this anyway) suggest testing on any other patients/family you may have come in contact with.
As for the source, been to any superstore restrooms, restaurants, movie theaters, etc. lately? Do you know the difference from a flu-season cough, a smoker's cough, and a TB cough? I know I don't. Everyone is suspect:sneaky:.
Living in today's society, there's just too much crap out there to worry about. So I don't worry about any of it. I simply do my part to keep myself and my patients as free of infection as possible.
And, just as I'm single-handedly keeping the cosmetics industry afloat, so am I with the makers of and hand sanitizer.
At the end of the day, any time that I come home without having grown a third arm, an extra eye, an 11th digit, etc., it was a good day.
You're probably MRSA+, too; you just don't know it yet (you pump gas and use shopping carts, right?). I might be, too. I use the sanitizer, but I'm not OCD about anything. Unless you live in a bubble....
maddyfan4
59 Posts
HELLO
I have been crying all day. I have never tested positive for PPD until now! Nurse told me its a +4 I'm.so.afraid!!!! I don't have any symptoms but will need to have a xray and my doctor wants me to.start medication. Has this happened to anyone please help tears