stabbed with insulin pen

[dowboy23]

hi guys was at a friends house and felt a slight pinch on my arm and turned round to see the guy next to me had his insulin pen out and had pricked me with it this guy was in hospital few month back with jaundice and rumours of hep c are gone about im worryin like hell im just a young guy dont take any iv drugs and hope someone could explain the possiblitys that a tiny ***** from this pen could be and if because its such a small ***** how much of a risk is there??

[hcvJames]

I'd start by getting a new friend. It doesn't matter to much why he stuck you, whether drunk, stupid, or clumsy. It's past time to say goodbye. What does he do for an encore? ... and there'll be one.

[nygirl7]

Did you ask your friend if he had hep?  It reads like he pricked you on purpose although I'm not sure that was the intention, I can't believe that a 'friend' would purposefully do that if they knew they were positive.

If he drinks that much that he had jaundice it is possible he does other things as well...........I'd insist he be tested as you might know a lot of times people have hepc and don't even know they do....he could be one.  While the risk is small there is some risk if  that needle broke the skin.

Good luck,

[jusjames]

low risk , but its bothering you so get tested in 6 wks and then take it from there

[dowboy23]

thanks for your reply mike and i only noticed a tiny red mark under the skin no blood come out but the mark was like a little blood spot vl

[mikesimon]

Or you could try to get your "friend" tested. If he's clean then you're not as risk.

I personally think the risk is small even if he is positive for HCV.
Did you bleed from the stick?

I agree that if you test you have to wait a few weeks. I would get a PCR test because VL shows earlier than antibodies do. VL is detectable in 2 to 3 weeks from infection and, if by chance you test positive, it is a lot easier to successfully treat an acute case (hep c present less than 6 months) than it is a chronic case of hep c.

I agree that you should see a hepatologist (liver specialist) if possible and if not then see a gastroenterologist.

Good luck,
Mike

[portann]

Risk from needle pricks is around two to three percent, unless it was a case of IVDU, which fortunately it wasn't.

The emergency room is not the place to go, IMO, as they may not know what tests to run.

For example, if they ran an antibody test, it would be useless in the immediate phase after the needle stick because antibodies don't show up right away.

I'd make an appointment with a GI ( better yet a hepatologist). This is not an emergency but seeing a specialist would be a prudent move.

He will run an antibody (Elisa) test after the appropriate waiting time and possibly a viral load test (HCV RNA by PCR or TMA), which will show if you've been exposed to HCV.

The viral load test is reliable sooner than an antibody test, even though it can fluctuate to non-detectable levels in the earliest phase of exposure.

As Copyman said, waiting a while makes sense. Just don't wait too long to make an appointment with a specialist, though.

Hope this works out for you.

Susan

[dowboy23]

thanks for your reply iv  been to hospital they started takin blood aalready the guy told me he had jaundice from alcohol and that hes not got hep but still i couldnt be to sure as hes told so many lies before iv been told that im at low risk because of the size of the needle and i was wearing a top when it happened  and its only been a tiny pinch but still its a worry  

[copyman]

there is a definate risk here. there would be more of a risk if needle was injected in your vein but never the less still a risk. I would get tested in a few months.