Needlestick injury hepC risk

[inliner42]

Hello and merry xmas to everyone,

I am an MSII in Greece and a week ago while doing some voluntary work in the ER i had a needlestick accident from a needle used to a hcv+ patient. He didn't know he was positive. The needle was really small (a brown one, slightly bigger than the ones used for insuline injection, i'm in Greece, Europe so i'm not sure whether you have the same colors 😛 ) and i used it on him for an IM tetanus booster. I was wearing gloves (well i am not 100% sure because the accident was a real shock for me, but i think i can remember my self wearing them),the needle didn't have any visible blood on it, he didn't bleed after the injection, and τhe only blood my injury pulled was a small drop, after pressing it for a while. After the injury the nurses told me to put my hand on a bowl full of betadine.

The infectious diseases guy i consulted, told me that the risk of infection is really low and didn't consult me to take prophylaxis but told me to get tested (And i will).

Do i really have to worry? The fact that i didn't use the needle to draw blood doesn't lower the risk?

Thank you for your attention, and sorry for my bad use of english!

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[metastatic dz]

ok...the published numbers of actual transmisison rates of viral infections from infected individuals is based on hollow bore needle sticks...such as needles used to draw blood. Needles used for IM vaccine injections are just like the hypodermic needles used for insulin injections and are not hollow bore. Nonetheless...transmission rates for Hep C using hollow bore needles is approximately 3%. (HBV is 30% and HIV is approx 0.3%)

Given your circumstances, you don't have much reason to worry at all, and the ID doc's advice is likely correct...but he would definitely and obviously know more than me. The needle you used probably drew very little, if at all, blood. One thing though...I would probably check the Hep B status of the patient...considering transmission rates are much higher for that, though I would imagine you're required to be HBV immune.

 

[inliner42]

Well here in Greece after needlestick injuries they test the patient for HBV, HIV, HCV (and if he is positive for something i think that they also do the pcr). He was negative for HIV and HBV (although we all know tha there can be a big window period).
I was vaccinated for HBV when i was 12 or 13 or something (i'm currently 20) and last years i was tested and i was positive for antibodies for the hbv. So propably i'm not in risk.

Thank you for your attention again.