GM1987

Nothing I can tell.

This one was placed on the wall and had a lock on the right hand side. Looked something like this: http://www.mountainside-medical.com/images/thumb/Kendall_8509SA_Sharps.jpg Thanks!

I talked to a phlebotomist at work and she said that there are some containers where sharps can be accessed. I don't think that type was present in the room though. Just wanting to make sure!

Can any other Kaiser employees chime in please?

I'm located in Los Angeles, CA. Good to know. Thanks!

Thank you for all of the generous replies everyone. I'm assuming the lid was on it, as it appears to be an integral part of the sharps container. It was mounted on the wall and I phsycially remember seeing a lock on it. A 'Do not fill above this line' and 'Incineration only' sign was also visible on it. Do all contemporary sharps containers use the following safety mechanism? Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone, I took my son to see a dermitologist at Kaiser and was wondering if the sharps container mounted on the wall could be physically accessed from the top with the hand. My son was left unattended for a few and now I'm freaking out! Thank you so much.

It was sarcasm hence the My point was, would I get some real answers regarding transmission had I written that since the beginning? I'm saying this because the entire topic has gone from discussing potential exposure risks w/ known HIV+ needles to behavioral patterns after being stuck w/ known HIV+ needles.

Like I said, the main focus of this thread was to gain some insight from people who have been/known people that have been pricked by a needle contaminated with HIV+ blood and the +- outcomes which have resulted from such action. Actually, he did report it. The incidentt was investigated. They told him that the needle had HIV+ blood and that chances of transmission were likely. He tested that day, result came back negative. He has to go back at the 6 week mark and another at the 13 week mark. Can we get back on topic regarding transmission risks?

tvccrn, I appreciate your help and I can assure you that this is not some kind of a scenario. I posted on this forum because medical professionals get needle pricks more than anyone else and I wanted to see, if this "needle" was to have HIV/HCV, what the chances of transmission would be based on medical professional experience. The actions of my friend may seem weird but would anything change if I was to say that "Yes, he did report it and the head nurse told him that chances of transmission with the known HIV infected blood are 0.3%?" Those are just statistics and don't help much... Speaking with people that have been there/done that is so much better.

What's with the quotation marks around "friend?" I told my friend that if he didn't see a needle, there probably wasn't one. Since he's under some major stress, this could be a major issue related to anxiety/paranoia and the last thing I want to tell him is - Yeah, you got HIV! And in the following case where lets say, a "needle" was placed - why is the clear plastic tape still around the door handle after a couple of days? Because no one has noticed it? Someone has removed the "needle" and still kept the tape? That calmed him down. Nevertheless, being a student, I worry about my "friend" and hence my questions. Aren't we supposed to take every incident as a potential risk?

He actually got tested a few days later and called me saying he's HIV negative. I had to give him the bad news that catching it is not like getting the flu and that he has to wait it out... Getting poked with a "needle" that is stuck on a door handle is nothing compared to getting poked with an actual hypodermic needle/syringe contaminated with actual HIV+ blood. That's what I meant with a medical situation and hence the 0.3% statistic which is given to medical professionals. I can imagine that dropping outside of a health care setting - especially since no one has been infected outside of the health care (at least that's what the CDC states). Being a student who is pursuing this career rigorously, I took everything as a potential risk and hence my questions.

...hah, because they're unsure and maybe think the rest of the world will think of them as a crazy individual? Good point nevertheless.

I know it's not a conclusive result but it's a VERY good indication of what his result will be at the 13 week mark. CDC has been conservative throughout - they've dropped their 6 month window period down to 3 months but most antibody tests nowadays detect HIV within 6 weeks as 90%+ seroconvert within 22+ days and only a few will wait until 6 months (but those are usually people with depleted immune systems, undergoing chemo., or are extensive IV drug abusers). You have to understand that this is not a MEDICAL situation and perhaps that is why he didn't follow protocol and will not test all the way through 12 months. I know there have been three cases of late seroconversion in nurses past the 6 month mark who were both co-infected with HCV and HIV - but that is very rare. He may be blowing this out of the proportion but I have sympathy for him. Why else does someone stick a sharp behind a door handle?

I completely agree with you. Well, I guess he was shocked/anxious/denying the whole incident and when the fears settled in, he didn't want to accept any of it. He'll test at the end of this month so hopefully he is negative.

Yes, a responsible adult would do that but when you're unsure if it actually happened - you're scared to come forward about it. At least, that's what I think happened in this case. Maybe anxiety or paranoia is to blame in the following situation but nevertheless, the worst case scenario is often thought of and hence this topic.

Actually, it was some clear masking tape wrapped around in multiple layers. There is only one door to the entrance of the clinic and you can see it when entering the plaza where the clinic is at. Literally, it's about 25 feet away. I really doubt my friend is making this up because he is in shock. His family/girlfriend have been calling me to see what's up and I'm lost and don't know what to say... You want to say that yes, he might have it due to the 0.3% chance. Then, you don't want to say anything so others don't start freaking out as well either...

MLOS, he drove by and saw the same tape still stuck to the door handle. The "sharp" was never confirmed but I keep telling him that if, in fact, there was a needle - someone must've noticed it by then. His response - What if' no one did? It's a little shocking that some people think this is a "prank." We're obviously trying to get to the bottom of this and have been researching chances of transmission and the only news out there in terms of needle sticks pertains to those in the medical field.

Not much left to do I guess since it already happened... I think it's the act that he's so unsure and thus, doesn't want to make a big deal about it.

Doubt it because it was made out of metal! He checked back after a week and the tape was still there so I'm guessing either no one has noticed it or his mind is playing tricks with him

Basically, the clinic is located in a very poor location where a lot of pt.'s have been diagnosed with these infections. He's thinking of this as a worst case scenario because he saw some tape on the door handle and remembers being pricked by something very sharp.

Yes, I did. After reading a few sources, I got the impression that there is some kind of a safety mechanism that prevents re-use so I thought it can't be done. I haven't yet had my hands on a syringe so I wouldn't really know. Individuals in the medical field say that they do get infected with HIV/HCV from sticks and it's a little strange because chances for HIV acquisition are 0.3% while HCV is 3%. So I single stick may just do it...

Is it possible to remove a hypodermic needle from a syringe once it's been used? I'm asking because a friend of mine received a percutaneous stick at a clinic he was attending (while opening the door) and we believe a remorseful patient may have placed it there to contaminate guests with HBV, HCV, or even HIV. What do the experts think?

Good point - I have no clue what so ever. He's been stuck by a needle before and might be stressing this case. I was talking to a Phlebotomist today and she said that her co-workers have been stuck with HIV+ needles (where a lot of blood has been visible) and no one has contracted HIV or Hep C. CDC might be conservative with their 0.3% in my opinion the same way they are conservative with their 3 month window period. Although a very reputable doc. with 10 years of experience or so told me that detectable antibodies usually appear within 6 weeks of exposure. Cheers! -GM

Told him the same thing. He saw plastic tape wrapped around the handle so that's been bothering him for some time. I told him someone from the clinic or any of the patients who had gone in and out would've noticed but when the mind is playing tricks with you, I guess you believe the unexpected. My mom is a RN and a co-worker recently sustained a needle stick. Doctors did not administer PEP but gave her a vaccine shot for HEP-B which surprisingly, she didn't have.