NORMAL — Three Hudson Elementary School students had to get blood tests on Wednesday after being poked on a school bus with a device diabetics use to draw blood samples for testing.

“My 7-year-old son found it,” said Jessica Soucek of Normal, referring to a lancing device, which is roughly the size and shape of an ink pen and tipped with a disposable, spring-loaded lancet about the size of a thin thumbtack.

He held it up to show a friend. The friend said he knew what was, and then clicked it on her son, drawing a droplet of blood, she said. Two more children were poked with the device, school officials confirmed.

Unit 5 Superintendent Gary Niehaus said the district started to look for whoever lost the device and took steps to ensure the safety of the children.

“We followed a very thoughtful procedure and did what we could for the three little guys,” Niehaus said.

The school nurse checked the pinprick wounds, put antiseptic on them, called the parents and arranged for parents to take the children to get blood tests at Healthpoint in Normal as a precaution.

“We have to do another blood draw in 30 days and another blood draw in six months,” said Soucek.

It is a precaution to make sure the children didn’t pick up any blood-borne illnesses.

While Soucek expressed concern that potentially dangerous items may be left on school buses, Unit 5 spokeswoman Dayna Brown said garbage is picked up at the end of the route.

Soucek said she was concerned that her son’s health was “put at risk.” She and her husband will be driving her son to school for a while.