[Question #11584] Blood to cut

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13 months ago
Hi doctors,
I had an odd experience at my doctors office a few days ago. I was in the waiting room when I saw a nurse take a urine specimen from a patient that had significant blood in it. The nurse grabbed the specimen without gloves, then reached her hand into the glove box accessible to patients and grabbed a glove with the same hand she touched the specimen container. Approximately 20-30 mins later I reached into the glove box to grab a glove to wipe up my spilt drink. I am struggling to rationalize with myself because the worry is I had a fresh paper cut on my hand, the same hand that I reached into the glove box with. I’m worried that there was blood on the outside of the specimen container that got on the nurses hand, then when she reached in the box that her bloody hand touched other gloves in the box that my cut inadvertently touched and therefore came in contact with fresh blood. I would appreciate your input doctors as I am worried that paper cut contact with blood in environment for 20-30 mins can result in HIV. 

Cheers
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
13 months ago
Welcome back to the forum. However, I reviewed your two previous threads, under a different account. (Please choose one account or the other and stick with it. Duplicate or multiple accounts are against forum rules.)

It is apparent you have serious misunderstandings and/or fears about risk of HIV or other blood borne infections, despite your medical employment and training. This is another example of the same problem. Nobody in the world has ever acquired HIV, and probably no other blood borne infection, from exposure to contaminated blood or fluids in the environment. A paper cut or any other wound on your hand makes no difference. This was zero risk and you should not be tested for HIV or anything else.

HHH, MD


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