Working in healthcare can be scary

[totallyfreakedoutstudentnurse]

Ok... maybe you can give me some assurance. I am a student nurse who was working at the hospital this Tuesday, when I went in with a nurse to draw blood from an elderly patient's IV site. Gloves were worn and everything was going fine, until I thought I felt a tiny fleck of something hit my cracked lip. I was not really sure if anything hit my lip or if it was just my imagination, but the nurse next to me did have some blood on her gloves. It seems possible that it may have splashed, but I think I convinced myself that it probably didn't. However, I still don't know for sure. I didn't report this as an exposure because I didn't want to sound like a dramatic idiot, and it was not really a known exposure. The patient, that this may have occurred with, was very sick and looked like they could have had full blown AIDS. After looking at the health history, no HIV/AIDS diagnosis was found; only myelodysplastic syndrome. No history of HAART treatment was noted; only antineoplastic agents. I have been really worried about this ever since. What is my level of risk if the patient was HIV positive (with full blown AIDS), indicating a high viral load, and if a tiny fleck of blood hit my cracked lip?

[alienshadow]

medstudent dosent know anything his days are numbered believe that Sorry you had to endure his or her comments pm me anytime

[totallyfreakedoutstudentnurse]

Thanks to all for your comments... even the medstudent who thinks I am an idiot > lol=) You all made me feel better about this.

[mojoman]

Relax nursestudent. Your px don't have HIV/AIDS. So you'll be ok.
But if you remain worry, the opt to take a 3 months mark will always open for you, although i don't think you need it.
Yes, working in healthcare can be scary, but we can minimize that by having a good universal precaution steps.

Be well, stay well.

GOD Bless!

[troggs]

You should find a new line of work, even though you are a student i can't understand how you could know less than i new about hiv when i was in high school. You know less than the average person about hiv and your going into the medical profession? Bad idea man...and there's no way you caught hiv like this-i don't care if your lips were more chapped than Chris Rock in New Jack City and a drop of Magic Johnson's blood fell right on the most chapped up area of your lips-you would NOT catch hiv like this....period.

[medstudent145]

ok so worst case scenario even if the pt did have HIV, which it would have been documented in his chart, and even if you did get it on your lip, you still are at LOW risk of HIV. i know this may be fearful and discusting. but if you're still uncomfortable, then get tested in 6-8 weeks. however, i think you're ok....