[Question #6316] Injection and surgery hiv hepatitis b c explained

69 months ago

Dear doc hook / and hunter would love if you give me the time today ( I want follow up I will surely believe you and Move forward much information was already available )

I lack of understanding which I believe I have corrected !

First I will give general response on doctor hunter and on second reply of dock hooks technical thoughts

my worries: are can one get hiv hepatitis b c from any Medical procedure such as injection , surgery at hospital , dentist surgery also . Any medical surgery I can think of If the person(doctor , nurse ) doing the procedure himself is infected with hiv hepatitis b c

1this point I want you to confirm for me that will kill all fear ; I have read that doctor hunter has said not one person is known to have to have transmit hiv hepatitis b c to a patient from medical surgery , injection or any other procedure or patient contact

So this must include me going for injection is no risk ! Or surgery or dentist visit any other surgery I can think of is no risk for hiv hepatitis b c . If I fear person giving me the injection or doing my surgery has hiv hepatitis b c such as doctor or nurse so am I correct ?

2) the only worry one can have from the nurse doctor if one things he is infected with hiv hepatitis b c if like they have poor hand hygiene etc . Cuts on hands . I have read you have said no reason to worry on how long the virus surveys outside the body if you can NOT get virus hiv hepatitis b c rom the person (nurse , doctor) who is giving you injection or doing surgery . Then don’t worry about reasons as to how long virus hiv hepatitis b c survive outside the body .

3) I have read on medhelp you get hiv hepatitis b c from REuse of needles /syringes period that’s it ! No other way . This means blood has to be inside syringes from previous client .

I am no risk from nurse itself if assuming blood got on external area of needle if nurse touched external part . So forget about this even if blood got on needle who cares .

You can only get infected when needle was reused from previous client . So I can take all the injections I want and not fear the nurse hands no risk for hiv hepatitis b c

all have to is make sure needles are new from package

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

69 months ago

Welcome to the forum thanks for your confidence in our services. Only one moderator responds to each question, but you can be sure Dr. Hook’s replies would be the same as mine.

1. To my knowledge, there have been no HIV infections transmitted during surgery or from any other medical procedures, such as drawing blood. (Many years ago, 6 patients of a single dentist with HIV became infected, but it is believed the dentist — who died of AIDS soon afterward — intentionally injected them with his own blood.) I have never said anything about the other blood-borne infections, but I am sure these have rarely if ever been transmitted during medical procedures.

2. You correctly state the true situation, as well as advice that Dr. Hook and I have given on this forum.

3. These also are correct statements, except your comment about blood on the needle. If infected blood were on the needle, it might be transmitted. But with standard blood drawing methods, there is really no chance of blood getting on the needle. Nobody has been known to catch a blood borne infection by any needle, unless the needle had been used recently to inject or draw blood from an infected person. And these days, needles are never re-used.

To avoid HIV and other blood borne infections, have only safe sex and do not share drug injection equipment with other people. No other precautions are necessary.

I hope this information is helpful. Let me know if anything isn’t clear.

HHH, MD

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69 months ago

Thanks for the reply to be clear .

avoid HIV and other blood borne infections hepatitis b c do not share drug injection equipment with other people. No other precautions are necessary.

Just to clear the concept of SHARING DRUG INJECTION equipment . It means RE using the needles /syringes from previus person . so all I have to do is make sure the needle is new from the package that’s it

1) But you Have cleared that since needle is not reused from previous person we don’t have to fear the doctors hands nurse hands dentist anyone’s hands if they have hiv hepatitis b c . If they cuts on hands and get blood on object .

Basically I don’t have fear the person doing the procedure injection, blood draw or any other surgery procedure . because we did not re used the syringe from previous client so I cannot get hiv hepatitis b c

2) all I have to make sure is needle is new and not worry about the person HANDS doing the procedure giving me injection ./blood draw or doing my surgery . Since blood is not inside syringes /needles . I don’t have to fear the nurses hands if they are infected with hiv hepatitis b c . And not be be afraid of their hands if they had cuts on hands and blood on object (needle or any other object )

This for injection , blood draw or any other procedure it can think of . I cannot get hiv hepatitis b c because I did not reuse syringes

3) bottom line we when we say don’t share injection equipment and you won’t get hiv hepatitis b. C . It means re suing the syringe with blood inside it . That’s how you get infected

Not from nurse or doctors hands if I fear they touch needle if they get blood on needle from their own hands because they touched it because they have a cut and blood got out of it It doesn’t happen Whethere hiv hepatitis b. C is alive doesn’t Matter.

Just make sure needle is new For injection and blood draw or any other medical procedure and you wont have to worry about doctors nurse hands

Summary : don’t fear the doctors hands or anyone’s hands if you think they have hiv hepatitis b c and have cut on hand and blood got out of it make sure needle is new and you wont get hiv hepatitis b c from any procedure

I just was clearing the concept that you said don’t re used needle and therefore you don’t have to worry about the person doing your procedure even if you they(doctor nurse dentist ) are infected with hiv hepatitis b c

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

69 months ago

There's a lot of verbiage in these follow-up comments, but I believe they boil down to two questions. 1) In sharing (illicit) drug injection equipment, are clean needles enough? What about other injection equipment (syringes, etc). Answer: For sure both needles and syringes must be used only once, fresh out of their packages, and not shared. Unshared syringes are just as important as needles. 2) If clean, previously unused equipment is employed, is there any risk of HIV or other blood borne infections if the person drawing blood or inserting the needle for drug injection has one of these infections (whether a health care provider or drug using companion)? There is absolutely no risk in this situation. That's why surgeons, nurses, blood drawing personnel, and other health professionals are not required to inform their patients if they have such infections. (I have physician colleagues with HIV. Some of their patients know their HIV status but others do not, and they don't need to know.)---

68 months ago

1) thank you for the reply I believe I understood the part where we say don’t share drug injection equipment . We won’t get hiv hepatitis b c . Because the drug injection equipment is new . And even if health care workers giving the injection are I infected with hiv hepatis b c we are not risk from them when they are doing my procedure such as giving me injection or blood draw or any other procedure . All I have to make sure the drug injection equipment such as needle ,syringe is new and I won’t get hiv hepatitis b c . From the person doing my procedure if I fear he makes mistakes during procedure there is no risk for any virus . So we don’t need to fear the heath care worker , doctor dentist , even if I think they have hiv hepatitis b c .

Bottom line just make sure you drug injection equipment is new and not fear the person(doctor , nurse , health care worker ) giving the injection or any other procedure no risk performed from them If I fear they (doctor health care worker have cuts on hands and. Blood got out etc . No risk for hiv hepatitis b c

This is what we mean by sharing drug injection equipment RE using needles syringes that’s how you get hiv hepatitis b c

But not from the person(doctor nurse etc ) giving the injection to me or doing any procedure ! .

Drug injection equipment has to be RE USED . From previous person . Who is infected with hiv hepatitis b c don’t have to fear the doctor , nurse dentist themselves or any health care worker who has these viruses such has hiv hepatitis b c during any procedure because they won’t be RE using needles on me so I won’t be risk for any virus such as hiv hepatitis b c

So I got it !

just one new point : below

2) needle new clarification I have one habit of feeling the package of the needle packaging . Is it okay that I just look at the packagaing that’s it and not touch the packaging before blood draw or injection .

And also you have said that blood would be inside syringes or the butterfly tubes if needle was reused . So I never see any blood in them when I go for injection . So can I say to myself there is no blood in butterfly tube so no need to touch the packaging of the bitterly needle when I go for blood draw

Not seeing blood in would indicate that needle is new to me and this way I will only be looking at the package . so this way I won’t have to fear needle reuse and risk for hiv hepatitis b c

The packaging we have is in a shopping bag for a butterfly needle it’s not a sticker package that you have . i have a habit of feeling the package . Can I let it go completely

3) when I go for blood draw or injection can I let go by not touching the packaging of the buttelfly needle to check if it’s sealed . It has a shopping bag package . And it’s not the vaccinator R needles you have . But still can I just tell nurse to just show me the package and not TOUCH fee the package and if I have doubts if needle is reused

Can I just say to myself that since there is no blood inside the buttrferly tube I can take that as indiication that the needle is new ! . And this way I can just let go by not touching the packaging of the needle . And this way I won’t fear that needle is reused so no risk for hiv hepatitis b c .

Do your clients touch the packaging?

Anyways times up now thank you for all the help doctor hunter this has been helpful .

Can you clarify the part of packaging for me

Thank you and goodbye

This has been helpful

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

68 months ago

If the packaging remains intact, the neeldle is safe. And if you're the one who breaks open the packaging, but nobody else uses the needle but you, of ocurse it is safe to use.

Don't worry about whether you can see blood inside a syringe or butterfly apparatus. Just trust the fact that no health care provider would ever use one a second time. That is, you can always be 100% certain that equipment used to draw your blood will not have been used before.

Your concerns are quite abnormal. I'm guessing you have OCD, right? If all this is bothering you as much as your questions imply, you should consider professional counseling. I suggest it from compassion, not criticism.

As I said above, to avoid HIV and other blood borne infections, have only safe sex and do not share drug injection equipment with other people. No other precautions are necessary. That includes any and all details about blood drawing or drug injection needles and syringes. Repeated questions on the same topic are not permitted, and no matter what other details you think of, the advice on this forum will not change, and future similar question will risk being deleted without reply and without refund of the posting fee. Thanks for your understanding.

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