A traveler who jumped into his hotel bed only to feel a sudden “pinning” sensation panicked when he realized what it was.
When he looked down to investigate, he saw a foreign object embedded in the mattress. He later discovered it was the needle cap from a disposable insulin pen.
Taking to Reddit for answers, the man posted a photo of the cap with a brief explanation.
‘What is this? The metal end went through the sheet of a hotel where I stayed and scratched me badly,” the traveler wrote.
Many were quick to identify what it was and encouraged him to get tested as soon as possible. The needle was dented after he lay on it, but it is unclear whether it had been used or not.
‘I’m fine. “My in-laws and my sister are doctors, so I have also contacted them about this,” the man later said.
The worrying post “sparked a new fear” among hundreds of people who previously only had bed bugs as their main concern in their hotel beds.
Many encouraged him to go to the hospital and see a doctor, which he did.
A traveler who jumped into his hotel bed only to feel a sudden “prick” sensation panicked when he realized what it was: a disposable insulin pen needle cap.
Others quickly pointed out what it was and encouraged him to get tested as soon as possible. The needle was dented after he lay on it, but it is unclear whether the needle had been used or not (file image)
‘Go to the emergency room or call a 24/7 primary care provider. “PeP (post-exposure prophylaxis) medications that prevent HIV and other viral infections must be taken in a very short period of time,” one of them warned.
‘You will have to go to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. Go to the emergency room. Take that item with you but pack it securely. “You’re probably fine, but there’s a small chance you injected something horrible into your body, so go for it,” wrote another.
Others shared their own horror stories about needles in unsafe places.
‘Well, since we are unlocking new fears. My mother worked at a movie theater where a man hid syringe needles between the seat cushions. You would sit in the seat with the needle completely invisible inside the fabric. Once you sat down, the seat compressed enough to puncture you,” one wrote.
“I’m afraid of needles and this whole thread is full of reasons to never sit, stand or sleep anywhere,” someone else added.
‘I’m not afraid of the needles themselves. More specifically, I’m afraid of contaminated needles,” wrote another.
The disposable cap is used to carefully insert into a needle for patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes (file image)
The disposable cap is used to carefully insert into a needle for patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
If a used needle pierces your skin, it is vital to seek medical help immediately as it can cause HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, HPV, genital warts and other dangerous infections.
The area should be washed immediately with soap and water and then evaluated by a doctor.