Curtis recommends teaching your children:

1. When you see a needle, always stop.
2. Do not touch the needle. Ever.
3. Leave the area immediately.
4. Tell an adult.

Ok, adult you’ve been told. Now what?

1. Make sure your child washes his or her hands thoroughly. Good hand washing after any exposure to a needle or syringe is required as soon as possible.
2. Call 817-335-4222. That’s the non-emergency number for the City of Fort Worth to come and pick it up. People outside the city of Fort Worth, should call their city’s local non-emergency number.
3. If an adult decides to pick up the needle, do so with caution. Don’t handle the needle. Use a salad tong for instance (throw the salad tong away afterward) or gloves. Then toss the needle in a laundry detergent or bleach container. Make sure the container is made with thick plastic and has a screw- top lid. Then place the sealed container in a trash bag. The adult should also wash his or her hands thoroughly and immediately.
4. Take your child to the Emergency Department immediately. Cook Children’s works as a system to treat a child who has been stuck and knows how to handle this situation, including testing, treatment and prescribing any medication. The Cook Children’s Infectious Disease department provides medical care after a needle stick with multidiscipline approach, including physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, HIV case managers and Child Life specialists.

A needle stick is a painful and dangerous consequence of others not caring for your children or anyone else.