Post by psyched on Feb 18, 2010 12:05:48 GMT -5
I'll preface by saying that I'm definitely the type to obsess and make myself nervous, but this is really scary for me.
On Tuesday, a girl on my unit went beserk, we had to hold her down and I gave her two injections. (IM) after the second one, there was some blood coming from the injection site, and I applied pressure for about 15-20 seconds with an alcohol pad, and that was that. I left the room, and I don't remember what order I did things in (did I take off one glove to open the med room door?) but bottom line is, I took off my gloves and there was blood on my right hand's finger. I THINK it was my middle finger where I also have a small cut because my hands are chapped.
now consider the following:
-I didn't get a fingerstick. Definitely not. I had retracted both needles into the syringe after injecting the meds
-the blood MAY have been my own being that my hands were chapped, but I can't know for sure
-I may have touched my finger accidentally to the bloody glove and that's how the blood got on my hand.
-I'm pretty sure the glove wasn't torn
Needless to say I washed my hand many times with soap, and wiped down with alcohol. I told my supervisor who thought I had gotten an ACTUAL FINGERSTICK and told me to "wash it off with betadine"
can you believe that??? I'm back and forth with the ADON today trying to figure out what to do.
I looked in the patients chart, don't think she's been tested for HIv, but she does have hx of rape, so there's a chance she could be carrying anything.
Today I called the PEP warmline, and the doctor there told me that there's a one in 1000 chance that I contracted HIV and based on that I can decide weather or not I want to take PEP. I have basically decided not to but every so often I get seized with panic about this.
Then I think, 1 in 4 ashkenazi women get BC, so there's a much bigger chance of that happening (cv's) than this. Then I try to remember that Hashem is in charge, and what He wants, will happen.
Anyone with comforting words or advice?
On Tuesday, a girl on my unit went beserk, we had to hold her down and I gave her two injections. (IM) after the second one, there was some blood coming from the injection site, and I applied pressure for about 15-20 seconds with an alcohol pad, and that was that. I left the room, and I don't remember what order I did things in (did I take off one glove to open the med room door?) but bottom line is, I took off my gloves and there was blood on my right hand's finger. I THINK it was my middle finger where I also have a small cut because my hands are chapped.
now consider the following:
-I didn't get a fingerstick. Definitely not. I had retracted both needles into the syringe after injecting the meds
-the blood MAY have been my own being that my hands were chapped, but I can't know for sure
-I may have touched my finger accidentally to the bloody glove and that's how the blood got on my hand.
-I'm pretty sure the glove wasn't torn
Needless to say I washed my hand many times with soap, and wiped down with alcohol. I told my supervisor who thought I had gotten an ACTUAL FINGERSTICK and told me to "wash it off with betadine"
can you believe that??? I'm back and forth with the ADON today trying to figure out what to do.I looked in the patients chart, don't think she's been tested for HIv, but she does have hx of rape, so there's a chance she could be carrying anything.
Today I called the PEP warmline, and the doctor there told me that there's a one in 1000 chance that I contracted HIV and based on that I can decide weather or not I want to take PEP. I have basically decided not to but every so often I get seized with panic about this.
Then I think, 1 in 4 ashkenazi women get BC, so there's a much bigger chance of that happening (cv's) than this. Then I try to remember that Hashem is in charge, and what He wants, will happen.
Anyone with comforting words or advice?
