[Question #8900] odd situation

38 months ago

yesterday, i was riding my bike and a piece of duct tape attached to my rear tire. i pulled over and grabbed it to remove it and felt a prick sensation on the pad of my thumb. i looked and saw no blood or visible cut or puncture and also inspected the tape and saw some dry paint flakes inside of the tape which may have been the cause of the prick sensation?

i checked the road around me and saw no needle or anything of the sort.

i pressed my thumb and no blood came out of the pad/skin.

i know how crazy this sounds but i live in a major city where needles are littered about in some places. if there was a needle attached to the tape and somehow i did not see it or find it afterwards and in the absence of blood or a visible puncture or pain for that matter — could i have been pricked by a needle and not seen blood? even after squeezing my thumb to see if there was a puncture? and if so, am i at risk for hiv or anything?

38 months ago

also today and last night. i see zero indication of a wound or pin prick on my thumb.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

38 months ago

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question. I’ll be glad to comment.

This was a no risk of it. HIV is not transmitted through transfer from person to person on contaminated objects other than needle sticks in which the needle goes deep into tissue, drawing blood, and infected material is actually introduced/injected into the wound. Despite how common HIV may be in your surroundings, it remains quite difficult to acquire. This was a no risk event. There was no need for concern and no need for testing.

I hope this information is helpful to you. If there are additional questions or any part of my reply is unclear, please don’t hesitate to use your up to to follow ups for clarification. EWH

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38 months ago

thank you.

you said: objects other than needle sticks in which the needle goes deep into tissue, drawing blood, and infected material is actually introduced/injected into the wound.

so if i did not see see blood coming out of my thumb, even when pressing pressure to my thumb to see if any blood came out, can i assume that it was impossible to have been stuck with a needle? and not seeing.a puncture wound would prove the same — no puncture wound means no needle stick?

is it that simple?

Edward W. Hook M.D.

38 months ago

Correct on both counts- no puncture no risk and no blood, no puncture. EWH ---

38 months ago

i think i understand. thank you.

so the only risk from a needle stick is if a needle is injected into your body? simply being pricked from a needle is no risk?

that is, if somehow you fall on or step on or put your hand on a needle on the street which pricks your skin, there is no risk at all unless somehow the needle exposure involves the depression of the syringe and something is actually injected into your skin/body?

i think that would clarify things a lot.

38 months ago

i guess what i am asking is if a needle in the street pricks you and there is blood in the needle itself, this is no risk at all unless somehow the plunger/syringe is depressed so as to inject you with something? a scenario that seems impossible to occur right?

Edward W. Hook M.D.

38 months ago

"...if somehow you fall on or step on or put your hand on a needle on the street which pricks your skin, there is no risk at all unless somehow the needle exposure involves the depression of the syringe and something is actually injected into your skin/body?" CORRECT

I fear you are getting into a cycle of "what if..." questions. Please try not to- it is not productive. HIV is simply virtually never acquired by the sort of events that you described. HIV is virtually ONLY acquired through unprotected sex with an untreated, infected sex partner or injection of infected material deep into tissue

This completes this thread which will be closed shortly without further responses. Please don't worry. EWH

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