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Risk of contracting hep c when drawing blood
Hi,
Sorry if this sounds very stupid and irrational.
I went in for my 6 month test and was feeling very good about it since all tests leading up to this was neg.
Everything was going well up until the nurse stuck the needle to draw blood. I'm not sure what happened but the blood was not flowing very fast and I noticed that my vein started to enlarge. I freaked out and she took out the needle. She started to clean the area with the acohol wipe and gauze and taped it up and threw away all the needles, vaccum tube(?) into the biohazzard container. At this point I can't recall whether she touched the biohazzard container with her gloves on or not. She then left the room and called in a more seasoned nurse to draw my blood which she did without any problems.
Both nurses were in the room. The seasoned nurse also took off the bandaging to look at the mess that the first nurse made. It was chaotic with the initial nurse handing gauzes/alcohol wipes with her bare hands to the seasoned nurse who was wearing gloves to clean up tape up again.
Needless to say I have a bruise from the initial puncture site and just frustrated why some of these nurses can't draw blood correctly.
Is there any risk of hep b/c from the gauze that was passed from the first nurse to the second nurse to place on the site? I'm also concerned that the initial nurse touched the bio-hazzard container and did not wash her hands while handling the gauzes/wipes.
Am I being irrational/OCD here?
Sorry if this sounds very stupid and irrational.
I went in for my 6 month test and was feeling very good about it since all tests leading up to this was neg.
Everything was going well up until the nurse stuck the needle to draw blood. I'm not sure what happened but the blood was not flowing very fast and I noticed that my vein started to enlarge. I freaked out and she took out the needle. She started to clean the area with the acohol wipe and gauze and taped it up and threw away all the needles, vaccum tube(?) into the biohazzard container. At this point I can't recall whether she touched the biohazzard container with her gloves on or not. She then left the room and called in a more seasoned nurse to draw my blood which she did without any problems.
Both nurses were in the room. The seasoned nurse also took off the bandaging to look at the mess that the first nurse made. It was chaotic with the initial nurse handing gauzes/alcohol wipes with her bare hands to the seasoned nurse who was wearing gloves to clean up tape up again.
Needless to say I have a bruise from the initial puncture site and just frustrated why some of these nurses can't draw blood correctly.
Is there any risk of hep b/c from the gauze that was passed from the first nurse to the second nurse to place on the site? I'm also concerned that the initial nurse touched the bio-hazzard container and did not wash her hands while handling the gauzes/wipes.
Am I being irrational/OCD here?
No worries on your part...Stupid and risk-taking on theirs, but you're good...It pretty much takes a blatant blood-to-blood (or anything that has frank blood on it, exposed to a break in the skin -like a tattoo needle used on someone else) to transmit it...Even people having Gorilla sex (sorry for the visual) have an extremely low chance of transmitting it...
Despite training with SOC's, there are still those health care people out there that think they don't need to follow them, and carelessly expose themselves and others...
As a Paramedic, and unfortunately the recipient of a dirty needle stick with hep C, I've become the world's most aware (paranoid?) person there is. I've given nurses and lab techs alike a piece of my mind when they've gone to draw blood and haven't worn gloves, and then tell them why I feel so strongly...the universal reaction is the look of surprise (the big "O" sign) because I don't look like a drug user and I'm not covered in tattoos...(The stigma that comes with having Hep C)... No, I don't think you're being OCD...I think your being aware...good for you...It sounds like you may have had a new lab tech because most wouldn't be ruffled by a bad blood draw...And, call the lab supervisor. They need to be aware if their techs need further education or "refreshing" on their technique.....
Despite training with SOC's, there are still those health care people out there that think they don't need to follow them, and carelessly expose themselves and others...
As a Paramedic, and unfortunately the recipient of a dirty needle stick with hep C, I've become the world's most aware (paranoid?) person there is. I've given nurses and lab techs alike a piece of my mind when they've gone to draw blood and haven't worn gloves, and then tell them why I feel so strongly...the universal reaction is the look of surprise (the big "O" sign) because I don't look like a drug user and I'm not covered in tattoos...(The stigma that comes with having Hep C)... No, I don't think you're being OCD...I think your being aware...good for you...It sounds like you may have had a new lab tech because most wouldn't be ruffled by a bad blood draw...And, call the lab supervisor. They need to be aware if their techs need further education or "refreshing" on their technique.....
I've been out of touch from the medical field for so long but here are some general guidelines gleaned from memory.
1. Washing hands between each and every patient. (hardly ever done by most lab techs)
2. changing gloves between each and every patient. (even this gets skipped sometimes)
3. not using any unclean supplies (needles, alcohol wipes, cotton balls, etc) from one patient to another. You know that rubber band they put around your arm before they take your blood - ever see a bad stick when someone bleeds on that band? I have. Think they change that band? Or just give it a wipe with alcohol? Watch.)
4. not touching something potentially contaminated (like the sink faucet or the trash can) with something clean (like the gloves the tech just put on) prior to doing a procedure.
There's a lot more - thise just off the top of my head.
Most people taking your blood these days are just underpaid techs who think (rightly )that you won't be able to call them on breaks in technique.
1. Washing hands between each and every patient. (hardly ever done by most lab techs)
2. changing gloves between each and every patient. (even this gets skipped sometimes)
3. not using any unclean supplies (needles, alcohol wipes, cotton balls, etc) from one patient to another. You know that rubber band they put around your arm before they take your blood - ever see a bad stick when someone bleeds on that band? I have. Think they change that band? Or just give it a wipe with alcohol? Watch.)
4. not touching something potentially contaminated (like the sink faucet or the trash can) with something clean (like the gloves the tech just put on) prior to doing a procedure.
There's a lot more - thise just off the top of my head.
Most people taking your blood these days are just underpaid techs who think (rightly )that you won't be able to call them on breaks in technique.
If proper procedure is followed there should be no risk. With that said there are an amazingly large amount of incompetent and/or uncaring people in the medical field these days. I've observed , at my Veterans Administration hospital in Los Angeles, the lab technician draw blood from me and use the SAME SET of gloves on the very next patient. He was protecting himself with the gloves- but not the patients.
Keep your eyes open.
Keep your eyes open.
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