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It is uplifting to see a whole family arrive in A&E when their grandmother is sick. Three sons, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren all squashed into her cubicle for moral support. After hearing the history of her worsening shortness of breath, I needed a blood sample. They all wanted to stay for this so, under intense audience scrutiny, I pushed the needle through her skin, hoping to hit a vein directly and not cause too much pain. To my relief, blood flowed into the syringe immediately and I took the sample efficiently.
However when I stuck the needle into a sample tube, which would be sent to the lab, and pressed the syringe, the blood would not flow back; a small clot had already formed. I pushed harder, but it would not budge. Unfortunately I did not notice a second problem: somehow the needle/syringe
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junction had loosened. When I pressed still harder the two parts separated. The result was an explosion of pressurised blood which sprayed the entire family, and went all up my front and over my face.
Semi-blinded, I left the cubicle. Someone screamed: "The doctor's been stabbed!" Thankfully, nursing colleagues rushed to my aid. One consoled the family and another led me to the eyewash and spent ten minutes running water into my eyes to reduce the chance of infection.
I returned to the family, apologising profusely. They were very kind, and offered much amiable advice on the best way to wash away blood stains. They didn't even complain when their poor grandmother consented to give more blood, in order to be tested for HIV and Hepatitis C (in case I needed to take further precautions). Eventually, we resumed the management of her chest infection. 
FIRST POSTED MAY 24, 2006
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