hiv from stapler pin

[khanna1980]

Dear doctor hhh/ewh,

yesterday i got some letters in my office which was stapled with stapler pin and while opening the letter the delievery guy pricked his thumb with the stapler pin and got injured.
I took the unopened letters and kept them in my bag then after 4 hours when i reached home i again tried to open the same letter THIS TIME I PRICKED MY FINGER FROM THE SAME STAPLER PIN.
NOW I AM WORRIED BECAUSE IF THE  DELIEVERY GUY WHO PRICKED HIMSELF BEFORE WAS HIV POSITIVE AND HIS BLOOD WAS ALREADY THEIR ON THE STAPLER PIN AND THE SAME STAPLER PIN  PRICKED ME DEEP IN MY FINGER.
TIME BETWEEN HIS INJURY AND MY INJURY IS 4 HOURS AS THE LETTER WAS IN MY BAG.
WHAT IS MY RISK OF GETTING HIV.
AND DO I  NEED TESTING FOR HIV OR PEP.

PLEASE REPLY

KHANNA

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Last answer- No!  EWH

[sunny1987]

is there any risk of hcv from this exposure

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Still no risk.  EWH

[khanna1980]

Dear dr.ewh,
THANKS A TON FOR YOUR REPLY
ACTUALLY I WAS VERY TENSED
AND I BELIEVE YOU TOTALLY

PLEASE THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION

I wanted to know just for my knowledge
If we persume  the time between the two pricks I.e delievery guy and my prick from the same staple was not 4 hours and it was 5 minutes then would it be a risk
Pls doctor it is very important for me to know so that I should be careful in future...
PLEASE REPLY

Thanks
Khanna

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You can believe your doctor or me.  That's up to you.  You wanted my advice and I gave it

HIV dies in minute on exposure to the environment, not hours or days.  Even in the human body the virus lives only about 90 minutes.  

EWH

[khanna1980]

One more thing I wanted to know just for my knowledge
If we persume  the time between the two pricks I.e delievery guy and my prick from the same staple was not 4 hours and it was 5 minutes then would it be a risk
Pls doctor it is very important for me to know so that I should be careful in future...
Pls reply
Thanks
Khanna

[khanna1980]

Dear doctor,
thanks a lot for your response.

I AM 100% SURE THAT THE DELIVERY GUY PRICKED HIS FINGER AS IT HAPPENED IN FRONT OF ME AND DEFINATELY THERE WOULD BE HIS BLOOD ON THE STAPLE PIN.
BUT  I  PRICKED MYSELF MINIMUM 4 HOURS AFTER HE WAS PRICKED.
I DONT KNOW WHETHER THE BLOOD ON PIN HAD DRIED OR NOT BUT MOST LIKELY IT WOULD HAVE DRIED IN 4 HOURS.
HERE IN INDIA DOCTOR TOLD ME IT IS AN EXPOSURE.
CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU TOLD ME
(if HIV virus were present on the staple, it would have died almost immediately after exposure to air and room temperature. )

SO THATS WHY JUST WANTED THE ASSURANCE FROM YOU.

PLEASE REPLY
KHANNA

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum. There is, quite simply, no risk whatsoever from having pricked your finger on a needle.  You are more likely to have a volcano erupt under your feet while reading my response.  

Here are the reasons:

1.  The chance that the delivery person pricked his her finger is very, very low.
2.  The chance that the delivery person has HIV is very low.
3.  Even if 1 and 2 happened, if HIV virus were present on the staple, it would have died almost immediately after exposure to air and room temperature.
4.  Staples are solid and do not have space inside them for blood to be transferred from person to person.

There is absolutely no reason for concern and no reason for you to seek testing.  consideration of PEP is totally un-necessary.   EWH