Hi,
i got tested at a county hospital in the
dc area a few weeks ago for hiv.A week
after I had sorethroat and mild cold.I
went back and asked the nurse if there was
a chance I might have been contaminated by
someone elses needle. She said no...But I
am very concerned that she might have
drawn blood from some hiv positive guy and
used the same needle on me. My questions
are:
1. Is that possible? Can someone make a
mistake like that?
2. Has there been an incidence of someone
getting any virus by testing?
3. What kind of needles are used for
testing? I saw small individual needles
in boxes. Wouldnt that increase the
chance of her making mistakes, if she had
to use more than one fresh piece for
drawing? Are there safeguards in needles
nowadays so it cant be reused?
Please reassure me.
Btw I got negative after my testing
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mathan
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 4 Location: USA
Please Help Me Posted: 05-11-04 04:57am
Hi all,
i would appreciate if someone could reply
to my email and reassure me.
Thanks
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purple333
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 1420 Location: Sydney
Posted: 05-11-04 17:54pm
Nathan,
no matter how many safeguards there are,
nothing is 100% safe, that said though the
normal rules (& at least in western
countries these are usually followed
pretty seriously due to not only staff
fear of infection but fear of law suits
& even criminal charges) are that a
different needle is used for each person
& that each needle is thrown away (in
other words not put back with new ones!!)
immediately after being taken out of your
arm.
It is far more likely that you picked up a
sore throat from someone who had a virus
(cold/flu or similar etc) even the burse
may have had a cold then that you got hiv
from being tested.
But if you want to stay hiv free practise
safe sex (that inludes all types of sexual
contact where fluids are involved - not
merely exchanged!!).
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mathan
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 4 Location: USA
Needle - Single Use? Posted: 05-11-04 21:12pm
Thanks for that reassurance.My worry stems
from the fact
1. I got cold and sore throat just after
a week of testing.
2. That the testing wing was hiv wing of
the hospital(spooky)
3. Its very easy and human to make an
error and use an old needle , even if
syringe was new.There were a lot of people
being tested that day and hence the
possibilty of a mix up.
Am I just freaking out here?
But I did hear that a needle is built
in such a way that it cant be reused.It
gets clogged. Any ideas on that? And
would that kind of needle be used at a
county hospital?
What do you think?
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purple333
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 1420 Location: Sydney
Posted: 05-12-04 04:32am
Since junkies constantly re-use needles I
suspect that they can be re-used but I
would think that any hospital regardless
of size etc would be doubly careful not to
make any mistakes if the hiv wing was in
the same area.
After all forget the poor old patients -
the staff would take extra care for their
own desire not to get infected!! That may
in fact be your best reason to relax.
Self-interest is pretty high in most of us
& add their fear of not wanting to
catch anything, to their fear of being
sued, losing their job or of being charged
with say "criminal neglect".
No idea what kind of needle they'd use but
I really don't think that would be the
problem - if there was a problem & as
above I really think that is unlikely -
but if there was it would be human error
& I still think pretty hard to
happen.
As to the timing of your cold - unless you
were quarantined for that week you were in
contact with dozens maybe hundreds of
people who could have sneezed etc &
hey presto you get a sore throat.
