Have any of you ever been stuck by a needle and not felt it?

[ka2rn]

I was attempting an IV on a hepatitis c+ patient a couple of days ago at work. I was extra careful because I knew she had this. I had on gloves the entire time. After I left the room and washed my hands I noticed a small pink bump on my palm that looked almost like a small prick. I didn't feel a stick or notice any bleeding when I removed my gloves but I changed gloves several times in there because she bled a lot. I at first tried to forget about it because I kept thinking that there was no way I would have stuck myself right there and not felt it. After a sleepless night I went and saw the infection control nurse the next day and she didnt think there was any broken skin there and said that she probably wouldn't do anything about it if it were her but if I needed the peace of mind they would draw my blood so I opted to have that done.I am just worried sick because I don't know what to make of this. Have any of you ever been stuck by a needle and not felt it? Like a jelco? The spot could have been there before and I didn't notice it but I can't confirm. SCARY STUFF

[Morainey, BSN, RN]

I have stuck myself with 2 separate insulin needles and it was very obvious each time, it felt like a prick or a beesting. I can't imagine sticking myself with an IV needle and not noticing!

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

While there are ways to get stuck without feeling it, you don't do them on yourself. With the exception of dental injections, I have felt every single needle stick I've ever had. There's a technique that involves the gate theory of pain control for dental injections and when that technique has been used, I don't typically feel the stick. All of the peripheral sticks for immunizations, lab work, IVs, and so on, I felt every single one of them. I highly doubt you would have managed to stick yourself and not feel it somehow.

One lab tech did venipuncture so well that it felt like he tapped my forearm (wasn't painful at all) but I still felt it.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Years ago (long before we wore gloves to touch a patient) I was doing CPR on a patient and the doc standing across from the bed said something like "WOW! Look at that! It's all the way through her hand." I looked down and saw a hand on the patient's chest with a bicarb syringe and an enormous (probably 14 g.) needle right through the hand. I thought the ring on that hand looked familiar, and as I followed the arm up with my eyes, I noticed it was hanging off MY shoulder. THEN it started to hurt like CRAZY.

That said, you probably would have felt it had you gotten stuck unless you were in full adrenalin mode.

[Oncnurse76]

I have a question, I was giving a Subcutaneous injection to a patient today. I pinched skin between my thumb and index finger and darted needle in. Once the needle was in I could feel the needle from inside patients arm up against my thumb. The patient has very small arms. I’m concerned because patient is HIV positive but  is undetectable and on biktarvy. I didn’t feel the sensation of being stuck and I checked my finger afterwards and I wasn’t bleeding. Could the needle have protruded out the other side of my patients arm and do I need to worry about a needle stick injury? Should I report it?

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

I stuck myself on the finger, it was kind of like a slice on the side of my finger. I felt something, but wasn't sure because it happened very fast, my patient jumped when I gave him an injection. When I took my glove off it was obvious, because of the blood. A needlestick won't look like a pink bump right after it happens.