splashed with hep c blood

[Danielle1987]

Hey,

yesterday I had to start an IV on a patient. I did not get it in and blood ended up splashing me over my stomach area. I had a contact gown on over my scrubs. I put pressure on the needle poke site and ended up getting blood on my wrist. My skin was intact. I ended up taking my gloves and gown off. I grabbed the patients blanket and grabbed from a non soiled spot and threw it in the laundry. I then washed my hands and wrist. When I cam to work the next day I found out that the patient has hep C. I was wondering if I am at a huge risk of catching it. The doctor had failed to put that the patient had hep c in the chart... feeling freaked out.

[DedHedRN]

I doubt that you are that much at risk for transmission unless you have a open sore where the blood splashed you. Remember the modes of transmission? Hep C is a blood born pathogen. You need a mode of entry to the blood stream for transmission.

[BloomNurseRN, ASN, BSN, RN]

I doubt that you are that much at risk for transmission unless you have a open sore where the blood splashed you. Remember the modes of transmission? Hep C is a blood born pathogen. You need a mode of entry to the blood stream for transmission.

This. Unless you had an open wound on your wrist, it sounds like your chances are very low. A friend of mine had a Hep C patient rip out his IV and fling his blood around while she was in the room, some even hitting her face/eyes. She tested negative and that was more direct contact. It seems like you were doing the right things to protect yourself and that you should be fine.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

When I cam to work the next day I found out that the patient has hep C. I was wondering if I am at a huge risk of catching it. The doctor had failed to put that the patient had hep c in the chart... feeling freaked out.

Not only are you not "at huge risk" of Hep C infection, your odds are practically nil.

Try to put it behind you. Get tested after the appropriate period of time if you can't. Then you can move on.

I assume everyone has HIV or other blood borne infectious illness. That way it won't matter later what I find out about that patient. If you are practicing universal precautions (which it sounds as if you were), a doctor leaving out something like that in the chart will essentially be irrelevant as far as your odds of becoming infected go.

[SwansonRN]

Your odds are lower than low. This is why we have skin :)

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

You're fine.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Just to be on the safe side, you should also follow your organization's process for reporting an exposure.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Hey,

yesterday I had to start an IV on a patient. I did not get it in and blood ended up splashing me over my stomach area. I had a contact gown on over my scrubs. I put pressure on the needle poke site and ended up getting blood on my wrist. My skin was intact. I ended up taking my gloves and gown off. I grabbed the patients blanket and grabbed from a non soiled spot and threw it in the laundry. I then washed my hands and wrist. When I cam to work the next day I found out that the patient has hep C. I was wondering if I am at a huge risk of catching it. The doctor had failed to put that the patient had hep c in the chart... feeling freaked out.

Remember what you learned about blood-borne illness, the barrier effect of intact skin, and then stop being freaked out. You're fine. If you are still freaking out, speak to your primary care provider who will doubtless reassure you.

[DemosthenesRN]

I had a Hep C exposure, and the thing I hate is never knowing when it might surface. Mine also had a very low likelihood of transmission and yet.... apparently it can show up years later. I have never really felt in the clear.