Potential Occupational exposure

[cachneed]

Hey everyone,
I am a nurse and was srubbed in on a surgery this morning. The surgeon was suturing up the patient when his hand slipped and knocked the needle into my hand. I was momentarily looking up when I felt what I think was a blunt object jab into my hand. I am a bit worried about a needlestick, but was too embaressed to bring it up at the time. The surgoen didn't seem to think anything of it. I'm assuming I would KNOW if I had gotten poked as logically needles are sharp? Would I have definitely felt a needlestick or could the poke have felt "blunt" / have been so minor as to not have been noticed?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Sorry, no specific advice regarding the issue.  Your response is an emotional one and the task is to use the facts of the event to resolve the emotional respoonse when it is out of line with the facts.  It is not too uncommon for persons to need help withthis, either from a friend or loved one as it appears you are doing or from a trained professional.  EWH

[cachneed]

Hi,
Thanks for the prompt and informative post!
I talked to the surgeon after I posted and he said he was quite sure that he didn't get me with the needle. It's nice to hear what coworkers have been telling me all day " you would not have any questions as to whether you were poked as needlesticks are obvious"!  I should have also noted that the needle was used to sew up dartos fascia post surgery and after the needle was used for one suture, it was left exposed to the air for at least 10 seconds before my hand was hit and there was no visible blood on the suture needle. After  hitting my hand, I checked my glove but I could not find a puncture hole (at least not an obvious one), and the nurse took a look at my hand a few minutes later and said she "couldn't see anything". Indeed, I saw no evidence of blood.
Overall I think I'm just looking for reassurance as it was my very first surgery and I guess I'm just quite inexperienced in regards to needlesticks (as soon as anything touched my hand I immediately thought -- EEK! Needlestick)! I am also unsure about reporting the "incident" as everyone around me has been telling me that I would look quite foolish as needlestick injurys as I would literally be going in there and stating that I was afraid of a needlestick yet felt no pain, saw no blood, and was bumped by something "blunt"!
Sorry for the long response... In closing, is there any advice you can give about trying to rationalize such experiences??

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Your risk associated with this is very low.  Several comments:

1.  Do you know if the patient had HIV.  If not, obviously, no risk.
2.  If you were stuck with a needle, you would know it.
3.  If you were stuck and the patient was infected, your risk is still rather low as the needles used for suturing are solid, not hollow point.  Without a hollow point to hold infected blood, risk of infection from solid needles is far lower than for hollow point needles.

Bottom line, from what you have told me, your risk is very low and possible non-existent.  Having said that, if you have ANY concern at all, you should report this event to your workplace employee health folks so that they can investigate further and to cover yourself.  To  not report the event, if it happened would be a mistake.

Hope this helps.  EWH