A voice from behind the needlestick statistics
A voice from behind the needlestick statistics is a scholarly work, published in 2001 in ''Connect The World of Critical Care Nursing''. The main subjects of the publication include medicine, hepatitis B, saline solution, primary immunodeficiency disease, surgery, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, HIV, regimen, syringe, blood type, and emergency department. BEGINNING THE FIGHTMy first reaction was sheer panic.This man was dying, and I had exposed myself to his horrific disease.I expressed as much blood from my wound as possible and scrubbed my hand with betadine.In the emergency department blood was immediately drawn for baseline tests for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and hepatitis C.These tests proved negative and I began a regimen of potent antiviral and protease-inhibiting medications.Though the drugs made me extremely ill, I continued for a month, assuring myself they would prevent infection.Assigned to care for this same patient 10 nights later, my resolve continued, for he finally lost his battle with AIDS and died.I believed that the period of seroconversion was behind me after three months of blood tests proved negative, because the literature I had read indicated that close to 90% of seroconversions take place within the first 12 weeks following infected blood exposure.However, in June 1998, I began to feel fatigued.I had swollen lymph nodes and recurrent fevers.It did not then cross my mind that these symptoms were consistent with early HIV infection.Following hospitalisation for viral meningitis, on July 27, 1998, I was told that I had indeed been infected with HIV.Further blood analyses showed my liver enzymes were severely elevated.Subsequent testing revealed that I was also seropositive for hepatitis C.No words adequately describe the horror of that moment.However, it was to be the beginning of a new journey -one I would never have chosen.I am now among the statistics -a per-.