[Question #8281] Syphilis Exposure

46 months ago

Hi i am a health care professional and after drawing a patient's blood I used an ungloved hand to place the gauze and bandaid on the site. I didn't see any blood that I touched but there was blood previously on the top of his hand that I wiped with alcohol. I may have touched it. I do not have any open wounds on my hand. The patient had a nonreactive RPR but a positive total syphilis lab value and was treated with penicillin G on 10/1 at 6pm. He also did not have any rashes or lesions that I am aware of. I did not stick myself with needle, just wondering if I have an exposure risk from possibly touching contaminated blood. Thanks!

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

46 months ago

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your confidence in our services.

There was absolutely no chance of syphilis transmission from the events described, nor any chance of any other blood borne infection either (HIV, hepatitis B and C viruses, etc). These infections are not so easily transmitted. Even if he had not yet been treated for syphilis, there would have been no risk. Blood-transmitted syphilis requires a) active infection (with high RPR titer) and b) a large amount of direct blood injecion, as in blood transfusion. There has never been a known blood-borne syphilis transmission in any other circumstance (not counting infection of a fetus in the uterus, i.e. congenital syphilis).

So all is well, no worries, and no need for you to be tested or to change your sexual relationship(s) to prevent transmission to partner(s).

Let me know if anything isn't clear. Best wishes--

HHH, MD

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