TYH: Stuck by a needle? Here’s what you need to know

First things first, apparently getting stuck by a needle isn’t all that common! And catching an illness isn’t all that likely according to Sanford.

“Viruses that happen to be on a needle, really don’t last very long when they are exposed to air, or the outside environment,” said Sanford in a Zoom interview. What it depends on is when that needle was last used.

“There’s really a very, very low risk of contracting anything.”—Reanne Sanford, Regional Nursing Lead, Harm Reduction, Northern Health

Stuck by a needle? Here’s what you should do:

wash the area with soap and water
don’t squeeze the area in an attempt to make it bleed
visit the emergency room

As for discarding a used needle, Northern Health says that children shouldn’t do so; if a child finds a needle they should inform an adult. For adults, if you have the proper equipment to discard of a needle, than do so by:

using a pair of tongs, pliers or a gloved hand to pick up the needle by the barrel (opposite end from the tip)
grab the needle by the barrel and point downwards (do not try to place the cap back on the needle)
put the needle in a strong plastic container, on a stable surface, and tape the lid tightly closed (don’t use a glass container, light plastic container or milk carton)
take the container to Northern Health’s Harm Reduction Clinic at 1108 3rd Ave. or a blue safe needle drop box which can be found across the City

The City of Prince George has blue needle disposal drop off bins placed in certain areas of the city.

Photo Courtesy, the City of Prince George Safe Needle Disposal Guide

by Veronica Beltran

TYH: Stuck by a needle? Here’s what you need to know

Stuck by a needle? Here’s what you should do:

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