A needle stick injury from a blood draw may seem like something that should rarely happen. However, these injuries can have significant consequences on your life. Patients in Pennsylvania who suffer nerve damage during a routine blood draw may experience serious complications that affect their ability to work, perform everyday activities, and live without constant pain.
What Causes Needle Stick Injuries During Blood Draws in Pennsylvania?
A major injury that can result from a blood draw is radial or ulnar nerve damage. The radial nerve runs from your armpit to your hand and controls muscles in your forearm, hand, and wrist. It also allows you to feel sensations in those parts of the body. If this nerve is pierced during a blood draw, patients may experience weakness, numbness, and pain in the affected arm. Depending on the severity of the injury, time and surgery may help improve symptoms. However, some Pennsylvania patients are left with permanent nerve damage and long-term disability following a negligent blood draw.
Understanding the Ulnar Nerve and Blood Draw Injuries
The ulnar nerve also runs from your armpit to your hand. It controls movement and sensation in the muscles of your forearm, hand, and certain fingers. Similar to radial nerve injuries, if the ulnar nerve is pierced during a blood draw this can result in numbness, weakness, and pain in the forearm and hand. Pennsylvania patients who suffer this type of injury may also experience difficulty performing everyday tasks that require use of the affected arm.
While any severe radial or ulnar nerve injury can be devastating, the impact is often greater when the dominant arm is affected. Patients may have to learn to use their nondominant arm for routine activities such as writing, cooking, and driving. Over time, this can place additional strain on the unaffected arm and increase the risk of secondary injuries such as nerve entrapment, wrist compression, or shoulder and elbow conditions like tennis elbow.
In some cases, the injury caused by a needle stick or blood draw may extend beyond the arm itself. Nerve damage can lead to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD). When CRPS develops following a needle puncture injury, it is typically classified as CRPS Type II because there is a known injury to the nerve. CRPS is considered a chronic condition when symptoms persist for six months or longer.
Symptoms of CRPS After a Needle Stick Injury
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome can cause a wide range of symptoms that significantly affect daily life. Pennsylvania patients who develop CRPS after a blood draw may experience intense burning pain, hyperesthesia (where mild stimuli cause severe pain), and allodynia (where even light touch becomes painful). Additional symptoms may include skin discoloration, temperature changes, swelling, and sensitivity in the affected area.
Because CRPS affects both the central and peripheral nervous systems, symptoms may spread beyond the original site of injury. This means the disability caused by a needle stick injury may not be limited to the arm where the blood draw occurred.
CRPS varies in severity and may improve over time. However, if the affected limb becomes cold or pale, or develops skin and nail changes along with muscle spasms and tightening, the condition may become irreversible.
In addition to limitations caused by nerve damage, patients may require long-term treatment with pain management specialists to help control symptoms. This can lead to ongoing medical care and mounting medical expenses depending on the severity of the injury.
The Thistle Law Firm has experience handling nerve damage and CRPS claims resulting from blood draws, plasma donations, and other needle stick injuries throughout Pennsylvania. If you believe you suffered nerve damage following a blood draw due to medical negligence, the attorneys at The Thistle Law Firm are available to discuss your case at 215-568-6800.