My wife works at a nursing home and was emptying a resdients trash can and was poked by a needle. This should not have happened for the needle was not disposed of in the proper place. This happened almost two weeks ago and though my wife went to the hospital, her employer was supposed to have blood samples taken of the resident to find out if any threat of disease but they have not yet. Is this something I should contact a lawyer about? Her work basically tells her its no big deal. We have contacted OSHA and also the corporate office.....we are very worried about this. Just wondering because I think we should contact a lawyer and she doesn't. Can someone please give an opinon?
2007-05-02 14:45:58 · 5 answers · asked by thecoxons 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
You should contact a lawyer. If the patient that was injected using this needle was HIV positive your wife could have become infected. Also your wife needs to be tested NOW for HIV. It won't be able to tell whether she caught HIV but it will prove that she wasn't infected before the needle stick.
Your wife needs to be checked for HIV every 3 months for a year because it can take up to a year for a person to test positive after getting infected with HIV.
The state that I am in, Minnesota, has a law that a patient cannot be forced to be tested for HIV, But the 2 times I had needle sticks the patients were willing to be tested.
There are of course, other diseases that a person can catch by having a needle stick. Hepatitis is one of them. Your wife should be tested for all things that your doctor AND your lawyer think are necessary.
You need a lawyer so that you will be able to prove a case that the nursing home is responsible to pay for any treatment that your wife may need.
I cannot tell you how sorry I am that this happened. The probability that your wife was infected with something serious is small but the trouble and uncertainity that it puts your family through is not small.
I also cannot tell you how angry I am at the nursing home because There are antiviral medications that your wife could have been given right after the needle stick that could have prevented her from catching HIV if the patient was infected. I was glad to read the answer from crestedl because she is right. It would still be valuable for your wife to be started on these medications.
I hate to say this, but the safest thing for you to do is to use condoms until you know for sure if your wife caught HIV. I hope your state has a law that would force the patient to be tested for HIV.
I hope I have written something that has been helpful. This happened to me 3 times during the time I worked in a hospital as a RN.
2007-05-02 15:52:22 · answer #1 · answered by Smartassawhip 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would definitely look into hiring a lawyer.
If the same thing happened two weeks ago, why on Earth was it not taken care of at that time? It shows negligence on the employer's part, and the fact that they didn't even take any steps to see if the person tested "clean" just confirms the original impression.
Take your wife to the hospital. They will probably get her started on some preventative medication... just in case.
I would definitely take them to court. Needles are supposed to be disposed in specific "Biohazard" containers. These accidents are extremely dangerous and are easily prevented.
2007-05-02 14:59:16 · answer #2 · answered by crestedladyco 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, this is something you can take to court, negligence leading to serious/life-thretaing disease. You SHOULD get a lawyer and explain the situation because you have all the arguement. do NOT waste more time because you want to cut off this problem if caused at the choke point before anything gets worse. Go ASAP to a doctor to check it out and make sure they pay you back or soemthing.
2007-05-02 14:54:08 · answer #3 · answered by hyperstrike11 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
In some states it is the law that the person the needle came from is contacted. Can you prove the needle came from one, and only one possible patient??? My opinion is to document everything!!!!! This should be covered by the homes workman's comp company. A claim should be filed immediately
2007-05-02 14:52:47 · answer #4 · answered by Mike J 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
She needs a lawyer and that patient needs to be tested. Also, it needs to be emphasized that sharps are to be disposed of properly in a regulation sharps container.
Please be persistent in pursuing this. Your wife's health and the health of your family may be at stake.
2007-05-02 14:55:32 · answer #5 · answered by nowyouknow 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋