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Blood exposure at work

805 views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  marilyn612 
#1 ·
So I need one of the medical mommy's to help ease my mind.

I know rationally that the chance of transmision through intact skin is basically zero but the irrational side is winning!

At work today I had what may have been blood on my glove and wiped my eyelid without thinking. My partner said he didn't see anything on my eyelid and I immediately washed my face and changed gloves. The pt denies any bloodborne diseases however is a drug using prostitute, so high risk. I didn't see any obvious blood sources on the pt and had been trying to open the cell door wider so maybe it was grease. Someone threw the glove away before i could inspect it better (light source in jail cell is poor).

Talk me down ladies!!

(I am a paramedic)
 
#3 ·
It may be worth discussing this with a doctor or supervisor.

On the one hand, there is very little likelihood of transmission through intact skin, but on the other, you wiped your eye, which has mucous membranes. IMO, you should place absolutely no weight on the patient's statement that she has no blood borne diseases -how good has her healthcare been? Would she know? - if you couldnt id a source of bleeding, the odds that you smeared your eye with her blood are low.

I don't really understand why you would be wearing the same gloves while both touching the patient and messing with the cell door.

I think it's unlikely you'll wind up with anything worse than pinkeye, but check with your supervisor about whether there are concerns about HIV or hepatitis.
 
#5 ·
I know it's not a sterile field, but it's unnecessarily unhygienic. If crud from the door is a possibility for what you rubbed in your eye, it can't have been that clean. The big difference between examining a patient with crud from the door on your gloves, and examining her with mud on the gloves was that the door crud is subtle. It's not less germy.

As a patient, I would raise Cain if a gloved up person yanked on the door and then sat right down to work with me without washing up or changing gloves.
 
#8 ·
I spoke with a doctor early this morning and discussed the risks. I had posted earlier as I was originally discouraged from reporting it by one supervisor. After talking with another I was immediately booked in to see a doctor. Thanks you to the helpful comment
 
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