Investigation underway after B.C. child exposed to HIV risk during vaccination

The Northern Health Authority is investigating after a young girl was potentially exposed to HIV during a routine vaccination in Fort St. James.

The six-year-old girl’s father told a Prince George radio station that the needle accidentally went right through his daughter’s arm and punctured the nurse’s hand.

“There was blood exchanged as that needle was then drawn back through the child’s skin,” the radio report said.

A week later, the family learned the nurse was HIV positive, meaning their daughter must be periodically tested for several months.

Investigation underway after B.C. child exposed to HIV risk during vaccination

The College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia requires registered nurses involved in exposure-prone procedures to know whether they have a blood-borne pathogen. Such nurses must take appropriate measures to protect patients, which “may include withdrawing from the procedure.”

According to the B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons, physicians also have an ethical responsibility to be aware of their blood-borne pathogen status, especially if they are engaging in exposure-prone procedures such as using needles.

Its guidelines say physicians infected with HIV must not engage in exposure-prone procedures, defined as “where there is a risk of injury to the physician (that) may result in exposure of the patient’s open tissues to the blood of the physician. These include procedures where the physician’s gloved hand may be in contact with sharp instruments such as needle tips.”

I apologize if this got posted already, it didn't turn up in the search results.

Now the article states that nurses/doctors don't have to tell their employers about illnesses/diseases. It is up to the nurse/doctor to use their judgement to withdraw from the activity if it is an exposure-prone procedure such as using needles. I can't believe this nurse went through with it and didn't think about the possible risk, I know it's not a high one but if you are working with a child, you should be extra cautious.

Hopefully this little girl doesn't get HIV.

Talking about blunders, how sad and on top of it, a child, I had no clue that people with HIV can still be allow to work with others in jobs that can expose patients to their fluids even if is by mistake.

I mean is nothing wrong with the nurse been HIV positive, but taking blood? and a possible life changing issue happening by mistake or human erro?

I really don't know what else to say, I imagine that the chances to this happening again are very low, but it did happen and again to a child.

PC strikes again! People will say it's wrong to stigmatize people who are HIV positive because it makes them feel bad, but in this case, didn't this little girl have a right to be protected from this kind of exposure? She should have been able to trust her medical professional, and now she could have the entire course of her life changed because the nurse's feelings are more important than any potential risk that the patients might come under.

This is the same thinking that is letting Ms. Hickox bicycle around Maine.

How big was the needle that it went right through the girls arm? I donate plasma and that needle is pretty big to allow free flow of blood into the centrifuge. Even that's not long enough to go through a child's arm and then into Anyone holding that arm. Just asking. Because it doesn't sound right to me. Also it sounds like they have guidelines that would prevent this as far as blood borne pathogens in medical staff. If true it's terribly unprofessional of the nurse to put any other person at risk by handling needles. reply to: Sabiduria

Someone screwed up because it certainly sounds like they have protocols in place to prevent anyone with blood borne pathogens from infecting others.
reply to: ketsuko

a reply to: AutumnWitch657
The only protocol in place is that it is up to the nurse/doctor to make the decision whether to go ahead with it or not.

I don't know how big the needle was, it wasn't in the article.

a reply to: Sabiduria

Why is an HIV positive person taking blood from people?

Nurse or not. Its freaking common since, now she has pretty much ruined that poor girls life.

If Christy Clark would get off her ass and start hiring new doctors and nurses that are not infected with a disease that could potentially ruin your life. I hope those parents take bc health to court.

I wonder how many others may have been infected over the course of her career..

This is totally unacceptable. To have a nurse who is HIV positive working with kids? All the blah blah blah bs, would you let a nurse work on your child if you knew he/she was HIV+?

At the point the needle went through the childs skin and entered the nurses hand and became potentially HIV infected, they could have very easily clipped the needle and not brought it back through the child.

I wonder if the nurse told the child to remain calm, I am HIV+ and when I remove this needle you may be too.

a reply to: AutumnWitch657

Obviously, those protocols aren't good enough to prevent this kind of accident, and if that's the case, then someone with a blood borne pathogen like HIV which cannot be cured, necessitates a lifetime of living on expensive drugs and can be fatal. should not be doing this kind of work, period.

As for the needle, usually, vaccinations are done either subcutaneous or intramuscular. They don't have to be big around, only long enough. If the arm was small and the amount of skin or muscle pinched inadequate, the needle might have been pushed through and just pricked the finger of the health care provider.

a reply to: snypwsd

That's not a certainty. If it happened fast it may have been yhrough before the nurse was bleeding badly. Also they start anti retrovirals and if that is startes quickly it can prevent infection.

a reply to: Sabiduria

This nurse should be locked up! How on earth is she allowed to word with needles of all things!?!? That's what cops are afraid of when they seach heroin addicts that may have HIV, that's why doctors dispose of needles in hazmat boxes. It's blindingly obvious that she should've never been around and procedure involving sharp objects and blood. No excuse. I don't discriminate of HIV positive people, but I do not think they should be allowed to be in a position that could potentially destroy another's life. That's fair I think. Jail for her for being negligent.

Oh and I forgot, what if the nurse accidentally bit her lip, cut her mouth or finger and touched a little child with a wound? You contracted a deadly virus lady. You should be responsible and cherish the lives of these kids and protect them or anyone else from spreading that horrible disease.

a reply to: tinner07

My first thought exactly to withdraw needle from nurse & then clip the
needle. I also thought that even after withdrawal & prior to clipping
the needle to push a small amount of blood out of the syringe & removing
the needle altogether.

I cannot believe the nurse didn't think of those ideas knowing their
own situation. I would have been running all possibilities through my
head of each possible scenario & how to best deal with it once I found out
I was HIV positive & still handling needles & blood.

Cheers
Ektar

a reply to: snypwsd

There are tons of doctors, especially Specialists who are out of work but not because of Christy Clark, there is no money to hire them & pay them.

a reply to: Sabiduria

I read that it's not petmitted below where it says must not engage.


physicians also have an ethical responsibility to be aware of their blood-borne pathogen status, especially if they are engaging in exposure-prone procedures such as using needles.

Its guidelines say physicians infected with HIV must not engage in exposure-prone procedures, defined as “where there is a risk of injury to the physician (that) may result in exposure of the patient’s open tissues to the blood of the physician. These include procedures where the physician’s gloved hand may be in contact with sharp instruments such as needle tips.”

a reply to: tinner07

No they didn't mention anything to the family for an entire week.

Oh I agree they shouldn't be doing that work. a reply to: ketsuko

a reply to: GogoVicMorrow

They said it went into the nurses hand.

I'm sorry but if you need to see any amount of blood to tell you had a needle stabbed through your hand, than you have some soft of sensation issue.

They didn't tell the family until a week later so hopefully that is still enough time to get the anti-retrovirals in her.

a reply to: NiZZiM

I agree and think they should draw the line at HIV patients working in an environment where there is even the slightest chance of giving HIV to someone else, especially a child

a reply to: Sabiduria

What? Not telling the family until a week later...
that is beyond so wrong! Makes you wonder if they
were checking on insurance or possibly not disclosing
the accident.

Cheers
Ektar

a reply to: Ektar

That's the only conclusions I can think of...or if the nurse didn't tell the hospital staff for a couple days and than the hospital had to contact their legal staff to figure out their plan of action