Worried about contamination while drawing blood. Please help

[disneyfanforever]

Today I went to my endocrinologist for a check up and labs for my thyroid. Since we have had so much snow my nurse was out so the doctor drew my blood. After she had stuck the needle in and was drawing blood, she said crap she forgot to get a cotton ball. She did not have gloves on, and she used her finger to apply pressure to the puncture site and stop the bleeding in my arm after she removed the needle until she could reach around to grab a cotton ball. I didn't say anything to her, but I am freaking out. Could I have caught some disease from that? My husband is saying the risk was to her not me. Any advice? I don't want to make a big deal out of it to her but I can't stop worrying.

Thanks in advance for your advice

 

[abdmom]

Today I went to my endocrinologist for a check up and labs for my thyroid. Since we have had so much snow my nurse was out so the doctor drew my blood. After she had stuck the needle in and was drawing blood, she said crap she forgot to get a cotton ball. She did not have gloves on, and she used her finger to apply pressure to the puncture site and stop the bleeding in my arm after she removed the needle until she could reach around to grab a cotton ball. I didn't say anything to her, but I am freaking out. Could I have caught some disease from that? My husband is saying the risk was to her not me. Any advice? I don't want to make a big deal out of it to her but I can't stop worrying.

Thanks in advance for your advice

I agree with your dh.

 

[wiigirl]

I agree with your dh.

This....your fine.

 

[Lynne M]

Your dh is right, nothing for you to worry about. Much more risk to her, she should never, ever be in contact with any patient's body fluids without gloves. Sounds like she's gotten careless.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

The cotton ball would not have been sterile, nor would the gloves had the doctor been wearing those (the gloves are for the doctor's benefit, not really yours). And the doctor would have held the cotton ball with the same hand used to stop the bleeding.

 

[15isto2]

Is you that put the doctor at risk not the other way arround.

 

[jeffjs]

I take shots for hormone replacement therapy and B12...I have to wipe the top of the vial with alcohol wipe and my shot area with it too. Sometimes I forget one or the other and nothing has happened so far. Also, I NEVER wear gloves, I just use hand sanitizer for that (sometimes I forget that too). You will be just fine...the needles are sterile and that's the point that really matters.

They say you can push some bacteria into your body by inserting the needle, but the tip of the needle is SO small that any bacteria would be quickly killed by your white blood cells.

If the site starts to get red...like a welt, or feels sore (not shot sore or black and blue...that's normal) or you have a fever...then get an appointment and the doc can put you on some antibiotics, but the chance of this is VERY, VERY, VERY RARE!

You'll be just fine!

 

[mhsjax]

Everyone else is correct, it is the Dr that is at risk, not you.

 

[disneyfanforever]

Thank you guys so much. I feel so much better reading all of your replies. I will try not to worry about it.

 

[Wishing on a star]

OP, you are probably fine!!!!

However, the above posters are wrong.
The person at risk is the one with broken skin.

PS: sometimes I have had the nurses use gloves, and some not.
But, in all cases, complete hygiene and sanitation should always be used... (washing and sanitizing of hands) before handling each patient.

Can you remember if you happened to see your doctor remember to wash her hands at any time during your appt?

Of course, there is NEVER and excuse for lack of hygeine and protocal in a medical situation. But, just to point this out. Most doctors would not be the ones drawing blood, etc. So, it may not have been something that the doctor was used to doing every day, like on-automatic.

 

[nmmom95]

OP, you are probably fine!!!!

However, the above posters are wrong.
The person at risk is the one with broken skin.

PS: sometimes I have had the nurses use gloves, and some not.
But, in all cases, complete hygiene and sanitation should always be used... (washing and sanitizing of hands) before handling each patient.

Can you remember if you happened to see your doctor remember to wash her hands at any time during your appt?

Of course, there is NEVER and excuse for lack of hygeine and protocal in a medical situation. But, just to point this out. Most doctors would not be the ones drawing blood, etc. So, it may not have been something that the doctor was used to doing every day, like on-automatic.

While the part I bolded is certainly true, it also applies when the doctor is wearing gloves. Exam gloves are not sterile. The gloves that are sterile are wrapped and not generally used for a blood test. In this case, the increased risk from not wearing gloves would be the doctor's.

 

[disneyfanforever]

OP, you are probably fine!!!!

However, the above posters are wrong.
The person at risk is the one with broken skin.

PS: sometimes I have had the nurses use gloves, and some not.
But, in all cases, complete hygiene and sanitation should always be used... (washing and sanitizing of hands) before handling each patient.

Can you remember if you happened to see your doctor remember to wash her hands at any time during your appt?

Of course, there is NEVER and excuse for lack of hygeine and protocal in a medical situation. But, just to point this out. Most doctors would not be the ones drawing blood, etc. So, it may not have been something that the doctor was used to doing every day, like on-automatic.

I have tried but I just can't remember if she washed her hands before she drew the blood. I know she wiped my arm down with something before she put the needle in. She definitely does not draw the blood normally as she told me so and she did not know where anything was in the lab area.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The risk is to both.

Very sloppy technique, but yes, probably doesn't do it much.

Policies today include using Universal Precautions for everyone's sake. The doc should have had gloves on and cleaned hands before putting them on and after taking them off. All supplies needed for the procedure should have been ready, too, so as not to go rifling through supplies with bloody hands, gloves or not.

Personally, though, I wouldn't give it too much worry. The chance of germ transmission from her to you would be pretty small. (Although a tiny break in the skin is present after a venipuncture.)

 

[bellarella]

Have you ever gotten a splinter? Skinned you knee? Cut yourself with a non-sterile object? All of those things exposed you to far more risk.

Yes, sloppy, but not dangerous. Doctors wash their hands all the time. If she used alcohol on your skin before the blood draw then her hands were also "wiped" by it. And as others have mentioned, neither the glove nor cotton ball would have been sterile either.

Unless your doctor had an open wound that she rubbed all over your very small skin break, I wouldn't give this a second thought. And even if she did, we are still talking extremely low odds of anything happening.

 

[Christine]

Have you ever gotten a splinter? Skinned you knee? Cut yourself with a non-sterile object? All of those things exposed you to far more risk.

Exactly. If you've ever had a papercut on hand or just a scratch on your hand or arm and then you went about your business then this is the same thing.

I don't band-aid over every small cut I get and the world is a dirty place.

 

[ez]

About a year ago a nurse came to my home very early on a Sat morning to do an exam on me for an insurance policy I was applying for. When she took my blood she didnt use gloves she said it was easier for her that way. i was still half asleep I think cause it was very early but later on it irked me that she didnt wear gloves. I mean she didnt cover it with her finger or anything but still, that shouldnt be up to the nurse should it, for whats easier. I thought gloves were standard.

 

[suemom2kay]

I think I've done about a million (slightly exaggerated) lab draws over the years.

The gloves are mostly for the healthcare worker but does provide the patient with some protection as well.. It is called Personal Protective Equipment. The gloves are not sterile. Sterile gloves aren't used unless you are performing a sterile procedure. Lab draws are considered aseptic or clean procedures.

The good thing is that you were bleeding so the any contaminate would be washed away...

Phlebitis (inflammation of the vein) is the infection that people can get from IV sites. IV's stay in for up to 72 hours (pretty standard practice). They puncture site in your arm had momentary contact with her finger.

I've never seen phlebitis from a lab draw.

During a code situation we put in BIG lines in the groin. If it is inserted during a code it is considered a "dirty" line. That is because you can't use sterile technique (bigger lines require sterile technique). That line can stay in for up to 24 hours. It takes time to get an infection from a line, or puncture.

Your doc didn't make your site "dirty" until after. And the offending object (needle was already removed and discarded). Your risk is virtually nothing.

 

[disneyfanforever]

Thank you guys for all of the reassurance. I just freaked out when she covered my puncture site with her finger that I started thinking what if she had some weird disease and could have passed it to me. I really like her as a doctor so I didn't want to ask her if the she had any weird or fatal diseases. I feel better now though after hearing everyone's opinions.

 

[jaminmd]

OP, there is no risk to you. The gloves are for the protection of the healthcare worker. Standard precautions dictate that we use gloves if there is a possibility of a blood/body fluid exposure. She is not required to wear gloves but they are strongly recommended.

From the CDC HICPAC guidelines:

1. Use of PPE
Gloves
Wear gloves when there is potential contact with blood (e.g., during phlebotomy), body fluids, mucous membranes, nonintact skin or contaminated equipment.

Wear gloves that fit appropriately (select gloves according to hand size)
Do not wear the same pair of gloves for the care of more than one patient
Do not wash gloves for the purpose of reuse
Perform hand hygiene before and immediately after removing gloves

Your anxiety is self-inflicted. There are a million ways we can kill a patient but your scenario is not one of them.

 

[nmmom95]

OP, there is no risk to you. The gloves are for the protection of the healthcare worker. Standard precautions dictate that we use gloves if there is a possibility of a blood/body fluid exposure. She is not required to wear gloves but they are strongly recommended.

From the CDC HICPAC guidelines:

1. Use of PPE
Gloves
Wear gloves when there is potential contact with blood (e.g., during phlebotomy), body fluids, mucous membranes, nonintact skin or contaminated equipment.

Wear gloves that fit appropriately (select gloves according to hand size)
Do not wear the same pair of gloves for the care of more than one patient
Do not wash gloves for the purpose of reuse
Perform hand hygiene before and immediately after removing gloves

Your anxiety is self-inflicted. There are a million ways we can kill a patient but your scenario is not one of them.

Is it twisted that I laughed at that part?