Question:

Sunday 9th March - have a daughter who is a Sister at A & E Charing Cross - I am concerned over needle stick injury she sustainied last night. I realise she has had everything done for her at the time that could have been done at 2 in the morning - apart from worrying and trying to be very positive, but is there anything else that could be done?

Guy in with atrial fibrillation - getting line in etc., - took needle out stuck it in her thumb - was wearing gloves. Took off gloves made sure hole bled - hibiscrubbed then when she read his old notes - he has Hepatitis C , in 60's - drug user all in the 80's everything - lines and the lot. HIV? not sure if positive. A & E Consultant took bloods from patient and my daughter - did LFT on patient - liver looks good , Consultant feels confident that he can't have had Hep C too bad. Feels good about the gloves as they will have stripped some blood off needle before penetration.

She has been started on HIV treatment straight away - triple - (don't know enough about this perhaps you could help)? Infection Control very helpful and supportive, so as I said everyone was very good, but I am right in thinking its not the HIV I have to worry about but the Hep C? From what I can remember nothing can be done for Hep C? If not, what is the sort of prognosis?

She is back tomorrow to see Occupational Health. Sorry this has been so long winded - just a worried Mum!

Answer provided by:

Douglas T. Dieterich, M. D.
Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Cabrini Medical Center
Assoc. Prof. of Medicine NYU School of Medicine

Dear Mum,

There is plenty to do. We usually recommend an HCV PCR and LFT's at 4 weeks and 6 weeks. If those are negative she is out of the woods. If positive then I would repeat the PCR and offer her treatment for the HCV. Treating the acute infection, if it exists, offers the closest possibility to a "cure" which we now have (although it cannot actually be stated to be a cure at this time.)

Wish her luck! Either way she will be fine, but this sounds like a low risk.

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