SPLASH

It finally happened. I was only being sarcastic about needlestick injuries before but I knew it was coming.

But it wasn't a needlestick injury; it was a splash injury. I was transferring blood into blood culture bottles and I managed to get blood all over my clothes and face. Please don't ask how I did it; it wasn't even funny.

Anyway, I ended up in Occupational Health with a 20-page form and a pen running out of ink. How did it happen? Did I get blood on my skin or mucosal surface or both? What initial interventions did I do? And just about another 100 questions following those. By the time I got to the end bit, I was wondering if getting hepatitis would be easier than finishing the form.

The very last question was how I would do things differently in the future to avoid similar incidents; and boy that was painful to answer. I see that they want people to learn from their mistake but oh I so did not need to feel lectured at the time. Not at least until they tell me I won't end up with HIV or hepatitis.

There was one time in A&E I just sat and talked to one of the patients before he was discharged (he was young and cute and he was a company director so yes, I deserve to be judged haha). He was curious why anyone would want to work in hospitals, A&E especially, considering the kind of people and diseases you come across and by doing so, you can't help putting yourself at risk.

Join the club. Sometimes, I don't know the answer myself.