Madman Sprays Blood On 11-Year-Old Hospital Patient

An 11-year-old boy at Staten Island University Hospital to get stitches had to get emergency HIV testing after a madman ripped an IV out of his arm and sprayed the boy with blood. "The guy was completely unrestrained running with his IV needle swinging and spraying blood," the boy's father told the Daily News. The next day, the boy started an anti-AIDS regimen, and his mom said, "As low as the risk is, it's a possibility and basically that's what the specialist has told us." The blood-spraying man is being tested for HIV, and results are expected tomorrow. And who's terrified of the hospital now?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jaya Saxena in News on September 26, 2010 6:33 PM

Comments [rss]

Carla Beaumont

Before this child takes AIDS medication his parents and doctors should read this:

http://www.omsj.org/corruption/haart-scam-exposed

Kevin Bracken

You're disappointing me, commenters.

Somebody find a way in which this was actually the parents' fault, please.

Crapola

Why did the parents let the kid play with a Swiss Army knife ?

Mondiggy

Why is it that the most fucked up things in the news seem to occur on Staten Island?

zincink

I wouldn't doubt for a minute that the parents put a hit out on that guy

zincink

I wouldn't doubt for a minute that the parents put a hit out on that guy

arcadelover

so they're going to recommend this kid get a preemptive course of heavy-duty chemicals ahead of his test results? did any version of this story mention whether or not the sprayer was HIV+?

Kelles

Although there is no mention in the article the Headline for the DN article states the 'madman' was an 'HIV patient'

John L

They're awaiting his results and thankfully he volunteered to let them test him because legally I don't think they can force him without a lengthy legal procedure but I'm not sure.

Petey

No they can't force, and yes you start the drugs prior to knowing. The drugs need to be started within 72 hours, and the reliable tests take longer than that.

robingee

Sounds like a horror movie, jesus.

Petey

In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States recommended a 28-day HIV drug regimen for those that have been exposed to HIV (HIV Postexposure Prophylaxis [PEP])[21]. The WHO recommendations on treatment are that the minimum that should be used is dual NRTIs for 28 days, with triple therapy (dual NRTIs plus a boosted PI) being offered where there is a risk of resistance [22]. The effectiveness of this intervention has never been precisely ascertained, but it is believed to be most effective the sooner the drugs are administered, and useless if treatment is delayed too long; hence it is not usually recommended that it be started on the basis of an exposure more than 72 hours prior to starting therapy.

What a horrible experience for anyone, especially a child.

Peter

I don't for a minute believe that the cops couldn't find something with which they could charge the man. Could he have paid a bribe on the spot and avoided arrest?

John L

That's a horrible experience for a young boy.

What's up with Staten Island?

ereene

"an anti-AIDS regiment"

Regiment = a group of soldiers. So unless the military is being used to fight AIDS now, the word you're looking for is regimen.

Manitoba

Glad to see I'm not the only person who noticed this sad grammatical mistake.

On a more serious note, I have a friend, who is a nurse, and she got heavily sprayed by blood in the face/nose/eyes during an emergency labor by a woman who had never been to see an ob/gyn (hence, no medical records, blood tests, etc.). I guess this is pretty common in public ERs - basically low/no-income mothers with no prenatal care, and many of them are often drug-users, so the risk of HIV can be high. Even though the risk of transfer is actually quite low, a retroviral cocktail regimen is called for, and it made my friend quite sick for a few weeks, and she and the patient were HIV negative anyway. Needless to say, she always takes the time to put on her goggles, nose mask, etc. even if it takes an extra couple of crucial minutes.