Is it possible to not notice a needlestick injury?

[Butterfly944]

Hi there,

I live in Europe and go to medical school there so I apologize for my bad english in advance. 🙂

I'm currently doing my first clerkship as a 3rd year medical student and on monday I noticed a weird little brown stain under my skin on my left forefinger. (taking blood with the right one)
I somehow obsessed over it, thinking that it can only come from a needle stick injury. I asked a doctor, she said it could come from a needlestick, she told me to look in the documtens of the patients I've been taking blood from, but I couldn't find anything. Neither HIV nor HCV plus the patients are 75 and above. So it was obviously good for her.

Now I'm still thinking about it, what if I didn't notice I had stuck myself? I've only done it for like 5 times, maybe I was so full of adrenaline I didn't notice anything? Also, we use these really small butterflies to take blood, is it really possible I don't feel anything?

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[eefen]

If you think you stuck yourself, you should talk to student health at your school or follow whatever protocol is in place for needlesticks at your institution.

 

[Psai]

Just because it's not documented doesn't mean it's not there.

Also a 75 year old patient is lower risk somehow? You'd be more worried if the patient was 30? But not a 75 year old who has all the experience of a 30 year old with an additional 45 years on top?

 

[Butterfly944]

I just didn't notice anything. And I can't imagine not noticing a needlestick, that's what I am asking. I don't want to go to the company medical officer and tell him that I think I stuck myself, though I didn't notice anything and it didn't bleed. Doesn't that sound very weird? :/

No of course not, but a 75-year old woman isn't in the high risk group.

 

[username456789]

I just didn't notice anything. And I can't imagine not noticing a needlestick, that's what I am asking. I don't want to go to the company medical officer and tell him that I think I stuck myself, though I didn't notice anything and it didn't bleed. Doesn't that sound very weird? :/

No of course not, but a 75-year old woman isn't in the high risk group.

Was she in the high-risk group when she was 30 years old? Has her risk of contracting any diseases decreased with her more potential exposures throughout the subsequent 45 years?

 

[nlax30]

For your own peace of mind I would probably just go through whatever process your institution has and put the issue to rest. Just say you don't recall a specific stick but are concerned you had an incidental needle stick and let them counsel you on the options. Until then this is all speculation and you'll just keep obsessing over it.

I've had just one stick thus far in my career and only noticed it afterwards while washing my hands. I debated the same thing but ultimately decided I just would keep ruminating over it unless I just went through the testing.

 

[Butterfly944]

I treat everyone as if they were in a high risk of whatever illness it might be. This was just for myself, trying to calm me down.
It would be too late for everything now anyways. And I really can't imagine not noticing it. I also disinfect my hands everytime I took blood before, but still, didn't feel anything.

 

[NickNaylor]

You should go through the student/occupational health process for needlestick injuries. That being said, I think it'd be hard to not notice an injury if you actually broke the skin. I mean, it hurts, even with the smaller needles.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I've been stuck a few times in the OR. You'd know. Wouldn't hurt to go to occ health just in case though.