Needle Stick- HCV Patients results came back positive

[shattern]

Can someone help me from not really freaking out?

I was drawing a patients blood on Saturday and the patient was getting really anxious. I hurried up and grabbed the tourniquet off of her arm and put the 2X2 down and as soon as i did that, the needle ejected from her arm and superficially punctured my finger in my right hand. I had gloves on, and there was barely any blood drawn from the patient.(actually none- it was a tough stick, just a little tiny bit of blood ran through the 23 Buttefly tubing and none into the actual tube). I told my charge nurse and was sent to the ER where they drew labs on me and had labs and and HIV, HEPs B and C drawn. There was no past medical history of her ever having any of these and wasn't considered a high risk.


Today, when I was told to call, her results came back positive for HCV. I'm seriously freaking out. The physician told me "when her numbers are that low they make the test positive for HCV" She said the patient is now going to have to get more tests done to figure out if she really has it and "false positives do occur". Was this test she had done the ELISA test (or EIA) and is she likely going to get the RNA and RIBA tests done? How long do those take for the results to come back?

Thanks all

[suezeeque]

Mine take 5 days.

[flcyclist]

The following link should help you understand the protocols and tests for screening for HCV infection.  PCR's usually take 3-5 days.  

http://depts.washington.edu/hepstudy/hepC/clindx/virus/discussion.html

Hope it works out ok for you.  Let us know.  Good luck.