What a prick.
A traveler was terrified after inadvertently touching a needle found on his hotel room bed.
The anonymous man posted his alarming story to Reddit last Friday, sharing a photo of a bent needle and asking people to identify what it might have been used for.
“What is this? The metal end was sticking through the bedsheet of a hotel I’m staying in and scratched the crap out of me,” the tourist wrote.
He explained that he was getting into the bed at the unnamed hotel when the needle “scratched” him.
Commenters noted that the item appeared to be a disposable insulin pen needle cap and insisted that the man seek medical attention.
The needle in the photo was bent, so it is unclear whether the object actually pierced his skin, but the man still sought medical advice.
“I’m fine,” the man later wrote, updating concerned Reddit users. “My in-laws and sister are doctors so I’ve been in touch with them about this as well.”
According to the AMA Journal of Ethics, anyone who gets pricked by a used needle should immediately clean the area with soap and water and report the accident to medical professionals to complete an exposure report sheet.
The exposure source needs to be evaluated for HIV, HBV, and HCV and the likelihood of infection based on the community served by the hospital if the patient is not available to be tested.
