Conference highlights needle-stick risk

IT WAS a normal working day for Karen Daley in the summer of 1998 and she was busy in the emergency department of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where she had worked as a senior nurse for 23 years.

A colleague asked her to take some blood from a difficult patient which she did, turning then to dispose of the needle in a nearby used -needles container.

She didn’t notice the box had been overfilled but as she dropped the needle in, she realised she had been pricked by a second needle. The injury caused her to bleed through her plastic gloves.

Over days, it left a bruise, and 24 hours later, as was hospital policy, she had to undergo a number of infection tests, including HIV and Hepatitis C.

“Needle stick injuries are a common occurrence in my job and I wasn’t unduly worried,” she admitted.

But in the following six weeks she began to feel ill and was losing weight. Not for a moment did she suspect the sickness was related to the needle incident.

Six months later she had to undergo another round of infection tests and they returned a positive result for HIV and Hepatitis C.

“It was a huge shock. I felt a huge range of emotions. The first was anger - anger that this didn’t have to happen if the needles were disposed of properly. This was easily preventable,” said Karen, now aged 53.

Weeks later, at Christmas time, she had to do a second round of tests to ensure the validity of the first set. When she entered the doctor’s room, she saw the hospital’s medical director, a social worker and other hospital management already waiting. She knew the tests had come back positive again.

“I remember I asked them not to tell my immediate colleagues for a while as I had to get used to the idea.

“I knew management would have to know but I was shocked and couldn’t get my head around everyone knowing. I needed to come to terms with what had happened,” she said.

Eight years later, Karen, who is single, says she’s in good health but has been through the mill. She is now studying for a PhD in nursing in Boston.

She is due to speak today at a National Needle Stick Injuries Conference at Dublin City University. The conference will look at the risks to healthcare workers and patients from such accidents and at the potential legal implications.

“I had to have treatment for the Hepatitis C for a year. It’s like chemotherapy and was very difficult. I’ve been taking different drugs for the HIV and of course, I’ve had some nasty side-effects to these over the years,” Karen said.