cut on cryostat

[bubbachuck]

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My intern friend (really, it's not me) asked me to post this. She cut herself on the cryostat but was too afraid of looking bad to report it since it was her first week. She's also really hesitant to take any prophylaxis because of the side effects and she's recently had a previous illness where she had to take a lot of nauseating medicines. I tried convincing her to go with the prophylaxis but she says that after 72 hours, it's not proven anyway. She seems to be most worried about HIV. What are the chances she'll be infected, and/or when to test? Should she take any other steps?

 

[deleted314957]

She should really talk to an occupational health or infectious disease specialist rather than solicit professional advice on a board.

 

[Ombret]

Yeah. She needs to go to Occupational Health. End of story.

 

[KeratinPearls]

Yeah. She needs to go to Occupational Health. End of story.

At least file an incident report.

 

[mlw03]

Your friend is making a very poor decision by not reporting it. If it's not reported, it didn't happen, and she has no legal recourse. None. Anyway, she ought to be much more worried about hepC than HIV, based on both epidemiology and infectivity of the virus.

 

[MirkoCrocop]

I stopped rePorting cutting myself after the first few times and I never ended up with anything

 

[Rete]

I stopped rePorting cutting myself after the first few times and I never ended up with anything

...that you know of

 

[mlw03]

I stopped rePorting cutting myself after the first few times and I never ended up with anything

And as scientists we all know an n of 1 is representative. Of course most of the time you have a blood-body fluid exposure you're going to be OK, but most isn't every. And if this person ends up with something and they never reported the incident, then they are hosed.

 

[Substance]

How do people cut themselves on things so commonly?

I mean, the jobs gotta get done, but at the risk to your own safety?

Nonetheless, accidents happen. I think its prudent for everyone to double glove for everything, and if you can help it, to wear chain mail or kevlar gloves.

Any surgeons or whoever that says that double gloving reduces dexterity and therefore should not be done are idiots.

 

[NuckingFuts]

To the OP- IMO your friend ought to have filed an incident report. The leadership of the institution she works for won't give a flying f*$% about her should it turn out that (God-forbid) she acquired something that requires medical treatment- for which there was no proper documentation filed. This is a very serious issue, and again, as others on this post have said, without documentation she won't have an ounce of medical/financial support.

And what's this concern about "looking bad"? Looking bad in front of who?? Again, she best quickly realize that, as a resident, she's merely an employee who can easily be replaced. Her institution's idea of looking out for her best interest is made manifest by the occupational health office. Once she forgoes this small window of opportunity to document, I'm afraid she will inevitably be SOL should she try to blame some future illness on this misadventure.

I wish your friend all the best.

 

[Euchromatin]

I would definitely file the incident report and go to occupational health. I cut myself during an autopsy near the end of my first year and reported it immediately, as soon as I had finished the case. They checked me (really my finger) out briefly in the ER and, because I reported it so soon, the decedent still had leftover peripheral blood available and it was tested for hepatitis and HIV. It made me feel a lot better knowing that those tests were negative. It also ended up being a good excuse for me to get a Td booster, since I needed one anyway. I don't really understand your concern about "looking bad." No one in the department other than our safety officer would have even found out about my injury if I hadn't told them. Also, what better excuse could you possibly have for accidentally cutting yourself than the fact that is it your first week and you're learning how to use the cryostat for the first time?

 

[Ishie1013]

My intern friend (really, it's not me) asked me to post this. She cut herself on the cryostat but was too afraid of looking bad to report it since it was her first week. She's also really hesitant to take any prophylaxis because of the side effects and she's recently had a previous illness where she had to take a lot of nauseating medicines. I tried convincing her to go with the prophylaxis but she says that after 72 hours, it's not proven anyway. She seems to be most worried about HIV. What are the chances she'll be infected, and/or when to test? Should she take any other steps?

Report report report. Almost everyone seems to cut themselves at least once; people are understanding, especially to new people. I cut myself with a scalpel on a frozen (fortunately not the cryostat, so only one patient exposure) despite wearing cut gloves and they were on it immediately, sent me to the ED and EH and tested the patient. My infection risk was my attending's *first* concern and she was reassuring me while jamming my hand under the sink. I didn't get written up or picked on or anything. Maybe if someone does it a bunch of times. As someone else mentioned, Hep C is a bigger risk than HIV and the treatments for it are improving, but also as mentioned, you friend will get no compensation or treatment coverage if the worst happened and she didn't report it.

It's a risk of the overall healthcare profession and everyone knows that. My mom (nurse) has gotten needle sticks, and I saw an extremely experienced PA during my training take a scalpel hit during a known Hep C autopsy (he was fine). Tell your friend to report it sooner than later.

 

[LADoc00]

My intern friend (really, it's not me) asked me to post this. She cut herself on the cryostat but was too afraid of looking bad to report it since it was her first week. She's also really hesitant to take any prophylaxis because of the side effects and she's recently had a previous illness where she had to take a lot of nauseating medicines. I tried convincing her to go with the prophylaxis but she says that after 72 hours, it's not proven anyway. She seems to be most worried about HIV. What are the chances she'll be infected, and/or when to test? Should she take any other steps?

A.) your friend is a misguided, workplace accidents need to be reported. She shouldnt fear looking bad unless she is cutting frozens for some crazed dictator.

B.) I hope your Avatar isnt a Blood Angel because Grey Knights pwn you bro.

 

[bubbachuck]

just wanted to let you all know that my friend decided to report the incident. thank you and and she says hearing all your advice gave her courage. and just to clarify why she didn't want to report initially because she was afraid to "look bad," she's always had esteem issues and did not want to disappoint her seniors.

B.) I hope your Avatar isnt a Blood Angel because Grey Knights pwn you bro.

it's Blood Ravens (Dawn of War)! Don't hurt me...we're on the same side.