[Question #13577] HIV risk

1 months ago

Yesterday morning I separated my shoulder and had to go to an ER urgent care. When the RN put the IV needle in my hand I noticed there was a spot of blood, which looked dry, on the table. I was in severe pain otherwise I would’ve said something, but I’m just concerned that maybe she touched that before giving me the IV or a needle was reused since they didn’t even clean up the blood

She did need to use a second needle because the first iv didn’t stick, but I’m concerned about the blood/possibly dried blood and what other risks I might’ve been exposed to

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

1 months ago

Welcome and thanks for your confidence in our services.

Nobody in the world has been known to have caught HIV as a result of medical procedures of any kind -- at least not in the past 4 decades since people stopped re-using syringes and needles. There is nothing in the procedures you describe that had any chance of infecting you with HIV or any other blood borne infection -- even if the possible blood carried HIV or one of the hepatitis viruses. You need never be concerned about catching HIV in health care settings. (Many health care providers have HIV and are not required to inform patients, because no health care provider or health care procedure (like surgery, starring IV's, drawing blood, etc) ever transmits HIV.

So please don't worry about this. You shouldn't give it another thought.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

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1 months ago

That was very clear and I appreciate your help. I was just concerned that maybe the needle touched the blood or if they left blood on the tray what else weren’t they doing (possibly reusing needles or other unsanitary practices)

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

1 months ago

Well, obviously there is no chance the needle touched the dry blood (or anything else) before it entered your skin. But if somehow that happened, there would be nor risk. Viruses do not survive in dry blood. And as implied in my reply above, no health care providers ever reuse needles these days. And beyond that, I can't think of any other "unsanitary practices" that could transmit blood borne viruses. It simply doesn't happen in health care settings.---

1 months ago

The blood was on the table where my arm was and where the equipment was staged, so that is why I said that. And okay that makes sense, but I would think protocol would be to clean any bodily fluids, especially blood, and that they might not be doing other things if they didn’t clean that

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

1 months ago

Of course it is routine (or should be) to keep work areas clean in health care settings, especially in regard to body substances. But of course there are lapses from time to time. Still the risk of blood borne infection is zero in your situation. You can safely ignore any further "what if" or "could I be the exception" sorts of questions and thoughts that might come to mind. As noted above, there are no known cases of persons acquiring HIV in such situations -- and billions of blood draws, IV starts, and similar procedures undoubtedly have occurred in far less hygienic circumstances than this one and still no known cases. You won't be the first.

That completes the two follow-up comments and replies included with each question and so ends this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.

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