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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Listeria exposure at 31 weeks pg :( aibu to kick up a huge fuss

20 replies

Holden10 · 27/03/2015 07:52

I work in a microbiology dept and ended up processing an agar plate growing pure listeria, with no gloves on. I don't think any went on my hands but I am really panicking about my baby. aibu to be furious that I was given it to process when the person knew it was potentially listeria and I'm pg? (Definite diagnosis wasn't known til the work I was doing on it was finished).
I have been in contact with gp for advice but generally everyone thinks as long as I didnt lick the plate i will be ok. Would you panic this much or aibu?

Sorry if this is a bit incoherent Sad

OP posts:
TheMoa · 27/03/2015 07:55

I wouldn't worry at all. Unless you ingest it, you're fine.

Even if you ingest it, 99.9% of the time you'll be fine.

You do have to take some responsibility for yourself though, surely gloves are best practice?

duckbilled · 27/03/2015 07:55

I am sure your GP'sv advice is probably a lot more reassuring than any we could give you? Maybe just ensure you are wearing gloves at all times when handling anything at work?

BeverleyCrusher · 27/03/2015 07:59

i would have thought the same safety measures should be in place whether you are pregnant or not. Why didn't you have gloves on?
Can listeria be transmitted via inhalation? In which case anybody handling it should have been doing it in containment?

Was there an appropriate risk assessment in place? What are the safety processes usually used for listeria plates?
Is there a safety representative you can talk to?

Caboodle · 27/03/2015 08:01

I would try to stop worrying given your GPs advice (but I understand this is easier said than done). Flowers

However, I would be worried about the procedures at work - why didn't you have gloves on? Are you often put in situations like this?

Original poster
Holden10 · 27/03/2015 08:02

Listeria is so rare that there aren't any procedures. Gloves are optional when working on the open bench as opposed to in a higher level of containment. I'm not sure you can get it via inhalation. I think I am safe but dear god am I worried :( gloves from now on, lesson learnt.

OP posts:
ChristyMooreRocks · 27/03/2015 08:02

Aren't there risk assessments at your workplace, given that you are working with potentially harmful substances (is that the right word?!)

Why weren't you wearing gloves?

ChristyMooreRocks · 27/03/2015 08:03

Oh cross post

TwinkieTwinkle · 27/03/2015 08:04

Surely when you work in a lab it is your responsibility to ensure you follow protocol? You wouldn't be asking this question if wore the gloves.

Feckeggblue · 27/03/2015 08:06

Why did you have to process it? Is there an option to refuse?

Caboodle · 27/03/2015 08:12

Ah ok, so really you were hoping colleague would give you the head's up it could be listeria. I can see that they really should have done, but you have learnt that you cannot rely on others in this way (they could have been busy / just not realised it could be an issue etc) and really it isn't their fault.
I would chalk it up....lesson learnt and gloves on from today.

Altinkum · 27/03/2015 08:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

popalot · 27/03/2015 08:17

Don't panic, you will be ok if you haven't ingested it. But speak to your manager and make sure this doesn't happen again. It should be part of your risk assessment not to be exposed to things that could harm your baby. And wear gloves!!!

ImpoftheForest · 27/03/2015 08:22

Surely this is your own responsibility. We were always taught that if you don't know what something is then you treat it as toxic. If you make a new compound, then until you know what it is, you take every precaution you reasonably can. And I know that when I was pregnant, I was doubly careful when I was doing lab work. I don't understand why you wouldn't be. It's you who didn't put gloves on and didn't take appropriate safety measures, not your colleague.

ScathingContempt · 27/03/2015 08:27

Gloves might be optional but if it were me I'd be wearing them all the time when pregnant. I don't think you can blame your colleague for the exposure when there are precautionary measures you could neve taken yourself.

Absofrigginlootly · 27/03/2015 08:38

A simple blood test for blood cultures can be sent off to put your mind at ease. Its just one vial of blood...and I think it takes 3 days to see if listeria grows in the culture. The treatment if so, is a course of antibiotics. I think its highly unlikely that you've contracted it, as I'm pretty sure you have to ingest it... But you don't always get symptoms and the consequences for a baby can be (in rare cases) very grave..... Therefore if you could get the blood test, why not? Then you can stop worrying.

Do you work somewhere with an occupational health department? If you tell them how anxious you are and that the blood test would put your mind at ease. I'm sure you are fine though.

maliaki · 27/03/2015 09:44

Contact occupational health.

You should always always wear gloves regardless of how minimal the risk because the use of ppe removes that risk.

Have you read the risk assessment? Does it state no gloves or is that just training? You should kick up a fuss because you should be being risk assessed every month or two due to your pregnancy so this risk however small should have been managed. Have you had that?

I know unis are more lax in general with risk assessment and coshh but this sounds very bad practice, lab wise it's certainly not glp. A lab should operate on everything is infectious, for cautions sake and use ppe not take the risk because it's rare.

maliaki · 27/03/2015 09:48

And you should be fine since you didn't ingest it. The risk assessment should cover the risk of inhalation which will be none if you are using out of a hood.

madreloco · 27/03/2015 10:05

I think it was your responsibility to wear gloves to minimise your own risk, and I think you are blaming others because you know that.

It is technically possible to inhale the organism though highly unlikely. It's also possible to spread via skin contact, though again unlikely. If I were you I wouldn't be panicking but I would be testing for the organism in the bloodstream in a few days to be on the safe side. Treatment during pregnancy is lot more successful than treating listeriosis in the neonate.

Jennifersrabbit · 27/03/2015 10:36

If you are worried and want more specialist advice than the GPs, could you contact/ ask GP to contact the local health protection team, who will have the greatest expertise in this stuff? (Although there are people on this thread who sound pretty expert). Health protection team will have a duty desk number - if you work in an NHS lab it won't be hard to find Smile

Also if you're in an NHS lab won't there be a consultant microbiologist around somewhere? They are the people I would really trust to give sound advice on this one.

FlipperSkipper · 27/03/2015 11:01

If they knew it was potentially listeria they shouldn't have given the plate to you to process, but I do think you should have been wearing gloves. I work in a university microbiology department and if a lab is working with listeria they have a sign on the door warning pregnant women not to enter the lab. I'd definitely get tested if it were me, for my own peace of mind.

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