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Paramedic needs 911!
I work in EMS in Upstate New York. I was answering a call of an unresponsive 'diabetic", arrived on scene to find a 60ish male pt.,lethargic,weak, and confused. I did a quick dstick on the patient (blood glucose for non medical people) while asking the family what medical problems did there loved one have. The patient presented as a hospice, end of life care patient. To my dismay as the family said he was only a diabetic, they brought out his meds to say "these are his HIV meds". They always do that! :) Stupid me, only had one glove on and got a small splotch of blood from the dstick on my index finger, which I didn't noticed for a 2-3 minute span.
I went outside while fire extricated, looked down and my heart nearly exploded when it hit me, This guy has HIV/AIDS.I have been doing EMS in a busy urban system for 5 years dealing with this all the time and now I was exposed. I have never been afraid before like this.
I proceeded to clean the dried splotch of blood off my index finger and around the nailbed of my other finger. I then used Sanizide, a cleaner/disinfectant we use on the ambulance, bathed my hands in hand sanitizer, and washed my hands vigoriously at the hospital after transport.
I should have followed my work protocol and reported the exposure but the fear/sphincter factor kicked in overdrive and I just didn't want to believe it. Besides I was worried about getting reprimanded for BSI, although I have learned from this experience. My wife works in a local ER and she said not to worry.
I was fine afterwards but now fast forward 4 months later I relate every symptom to HIV/AIDS as I have them. I have
abdominal pain, infrequent bowel movements(constipated/diarrhea), loss of appetite. By the way I have a hernia. Then I was looking at my swollen tonsils, sore throat. I have tonsillar hypertrophy and getting my tonsils removed next week to decrease my sleep apnea. I think I worry because I also have never had surgery and I was fine till I heard the term blood work used by my ENT that I lost it this time.
My anxiety has kicked in, I have panic attacks when I'm home,( I'm that medic that gets to a call and says your not having chest pain, it's your anxiety) :) I constantly look up stuff on the internet on the subject. Although I calm myself talking to the older medics who did this in the 70's, 80's, and 90's who tell me there horror stories and the needlesticks, blood in the eye, etc. I mean am I just worrying myself to the brink of being papered and held @ the local psych ER? Thanks Dr!
I went outside while fire extricated, looked down and my heart nearly exploded when it hit me, This guy has HIV/AIDS.I have been doing EMS in a busy urban system for 5 years dealing with this all the time and now I was exposed. I have never been afraid before like this.
I proceeded to clean the dried splotch of blood off my index finger and around the nailbed of my other finger. I then used Sanizide, a cleaner/disinfectant we use on the ambulance, bathed my hands in hand sanitizer, and washed my hands vigoriously at the hospital after transport.
I should have followed my work protocol and reported the exposure but the fear/sphincter factor kicked in overdrive and I just didn't want to believe it. Besides I was worried about getting reprimanded for BSI, although I have learned from this experience. My wife works in a local ER and she said not to worry.
I was fine afterwards but now fast forward 4 months later I relate every symptom to HIV/AIDS as I have them. I have
abdominal pain, infrequent bowel movements(constipated/diarrhea), loss of appetite. By the way I have a hernia. Then I was looking at my swollen tonsils, sore throat. I have tonsillar hypertrophy and getting my tonsils removed next week to decrease my sleep apnea. I think I worry because I also have never had surgery and I was fine till I heard the term blood work used by my ENT that I lost it this time.
My anxiety has kicked in, I have panic attacks when I'm home,( I'm that medic that gets to a call and says your not having chest pain, it's your anxiety) :) I constantly look up stuff on the internet on the subject. Although I calm myself talking to the older medics who did this in the 70's, 80's, and 90's who tell me there horror stories and the needlesticks, blood in the eye, etc. I mean am I just worrying myself to the brink of being papered and held @ the local psych ER? Thanks Dr!
You're very welcome, it isn't uncommon to have anxiety after something like this. Even the most rational person can start to lose the ability to be realistic.
Sounds like you're going to move on...which is what you should do. And, as you already know...there are MUCH bigger dangers in the helath care field to worry about exposure. HIV is essentially impossible to transmit in these types of scenarios unless there is a HUGE blood exposure with the "exposee" having enormous gaping wounds allowing for entry.
Best of luck.
Sounds like you're going to move on...which is what you should do. And, as you already know...there are MUCH bigger dangers in the helath care field to worry about exposure. HIV is essentially impossible to transmit in these types of scenarios unless there is a HUGE blood exposure with the "exposee" having enormous gaping wounds allowing for entry.
Best of luck.
Thank you so much for the positive response. I know it's the anxiety and I think what triggered it again was a mandatory bloodborne pathogens class I had last Friday. You know how you have that tunnel feeling that the instructor is only talking to you...that's how I felt. Luckily my friend who knows of the situation was next to me being an *** so that took my mind of the content of the course. :)
I think it's just the way they beat into your head that word "exposure".
I know co-workers telling me they've had HIV+ blood pouring off their hands and work said you'll be alright. Even partners who have needlesticks into their arms, which is worse and they faired okay. Much of it is the whole sphincter factor as we call it in EMS.. :)
So, the amount of blood from this pt's BGT shouldn't be a concern to me, thank you for the positive reinforcement. I was just worried because the hands...and I know better it was just fear and anxiety taking the best of me.
Like I said in my previous post, I wouldn't have gotten so worked up if it wasn't for my kids. That parental scenario of what are they gonna do without me...that kind of BS just filled my mind. I know many of the same HIV symptoms are the same as my inguinal hernia and my tonsillar hypertrophy. It's just when you read that the symptoms...which mirror those of what you have...your mind plays the games. Besides that they are such general broad symptoms which cover every illness essentially. I've had them long before this event, I just blocked out in my head that I did and only focused on the days after that incident in March.
It definitely has made me reaffirm my commitment to BSI. I don up on everything now, and am a little anal retentive now even with hand sanitizer, washing hands, and cleaning the ambulance to a T. I know that I've been exposed to TB, MRSA, and a long list of others and it's all been negative.I've worked codes on HIV+ pts and never thought for a second I was exposed or anything...so your right anxiety has taken the best of me.
Either way I woke up this morning feeling alot better thanks to these responses. I just needed someone to talk to and just vent my feelings and air my concerns. Thank you very much, I feel alot more relieved. Bless you. :)
I think it's just the way they beat into your head that word "exposure".
I know co-workers telling me they've had HIV+ blood pouring off their hands and work said you'll be alright. Even partners who have needlesticks into their arms, which is worse and they faired okay. Much of it is the whole sphincter factor as we call it in EMS.. :)
So, the amount of blood from this pt's BGT shouldn't be a concern to me, thank you for the positive reinforcement. I was just worried because the hands...and I know better it was just fear and anxiety taking the best of me.
Like I said in my previous post, I wouldn't have gotten so worked up if it wasn't for my kids. That parental scenario of what are they gonna do without me...that kind of BS just filled my mind. I know many of the same HIV symptoms are the same as my inguinal hernia and my tonsillar hypertrophy. It's just when you read that the symptoms...which mirror those of what you have...your mind plays the games. Besides that they are such general broad symptoms which cover every illness essentially. I've had them long before this event, I just blocked out in my head that I did and only focused on the days after that incident in March.
It definitely has made me reaffirm my commitment to BSI. I don up on everything now, and am a little anal retentive now even with hand sanitizer, washing hands, and cleaning the ambulance to a T. I know that I've been exposed to TB, MRSA, and a long list of others and it's all been negative.I've worked codes on HIV+ pts and never thought for a second I was exposed or anything...so your right anxiety has taken the best of me.
Either way I woke up this morning feeling alot better thanks to these responses. I just needed someone to talk to and just vent my feelings and air my concerns. Thank you very much, I feel alot more relieved. Bless you. :)
Your answers are in YOUR posts. You are very knowledgeable and already know the answer.....your anxiety is just making you second guess yourself. Even your wife is telling you not to worry.
One small drop of blood on your finger, on intact skin is NO risk. Heck...even if you had had a small abrasion, it still wouldn't have posed a risk.
You were not at risk. Obviously, the anxiety is still sticking around....so why not just get tested to relieve your anxiety? I think that with your knowledge, one test will be enough to allow you to put this behind you.
It will be negative.
Also, this was a good lesson in mainatining proper universal precautions no matter what the situation may be. It only takes a second to don gloves. You're protecting yourself from all sorts of infections, bacteria, etc. I know you know that, but it bears repeating. :0)
One small drop of blood on your finger, on intact skin is NO risk. Heck...even if you had had a small abrasion, it still wouldn't have posed a risk.
You were not at risk. Obviously, the anxiety is still sticking around....so why not just get tested to relieve your anxiety? I think that with your knowledge, one test will be enough to allow you to put this behind you.
It will be negative.
Also, this was a good lesson in mainatining proper universal precautions no matter what the situation may be. It only takes a second to don gloves. You're protecting yourself from all sorts of infections, bacteria, etc. I know you know that, but it bears repeating. :0)
That was the reason I posted...I was concerned about around the cuticle, I understand that HIV doesn't just jump into the skin and intact skin is that, intact skin. I was just inquiring about thoughts of people about the transmission of HIV via bare hands in an event such as mine, that's all. I just wanted to hear to what people considered an adequate amount of blood for exposure and also what to them constitutes a break in the skin. Too me, it's an open wound or sore.
Sorry, but it was a very fearful moment for me. I have two young children and if this would have happened to me pre-kids I wouldn't have been so nerved out. I've done combat tours and had no fear, but like I said pre-kids. That's all. With kids everything is different, too me anyway.
I didn't post on this message board to get criticized for my skills/education as a medic or to be implied that I'm stupid.
Thanks for the positive responses either way. It'll relieve my anxiety.
Sorry, but it was a very fearful moment for me. I have two young children and if this would have happened to me pre-kids I wouldn't have been so nerved out. I've done combat tours and had no fear, but like I said pre-kids. That's all. With kids everything is different, too me anyway.
I didn't post on this message board to get criticized for my skills/education as a medic or to be implied that I'm stupid.
Thanks for the positive responses either way. It'll relieve my anxiety.
wow...i'm sorry, buuuuuuuuuuuuutttttttttttttttttttttt...you're a paramedic and dont know that hiv doesnt just jump into your skin?????
no risk...move on
no risk...move on
I'm sorry...I didn't know that.
Yes, the exposure was to my hands. Like I said, I have been dug into to trauma codes before and blood and guts all over but I've been gloved up, this was the first time I have had it on my bare hands.
Just looking for answers to possibly quell my nervousness.
There was no needlestick, which I know is a 0.3% chance, needs to be a large bore like 16,14ga to actually worry a person and getting blood on intact skin is a 0.1% chance. My nerves are just shot, which isn't good in my career field. :)
Yes, the exposure was to my hands. Like I said, I have been dug into to trauma codes before and blood and guts all over but I've been gloved up, this was the first time I have had it on my bare hands.
Just looking for answers to possibly quell my nervousness.
There was no needlestick, which I know is a 0.3% chance, needs to be a large bore like 16,14ga to actually worry a person and getting blood on intact skin is a 0.1% chance. My nerves are just shot, which isn't good in my career field. :)
this is not the docto's forum...sorry
i'm not sure what you feel your exposure was? getting blood on your hand?
i'm not sure what you feel your exposure was? getting blood on your hand?
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