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Am I experiencing the acute retroviral syndrome?
I am a pre-final year medical student from India. On 11 May, a retropositive patient was admitted to the labour room in our hospital. (She underwent a CS an hour later). I accidentally placed my hand on a plastic sheet that had been spread over the bed used by the patient. There was no visible blood or fluid on the sheet, but i got extremely worried. Especially so since i had a four-day old small (less than 1 cm long) cut on my index finger. I washed my hands with soap and water and spirit.
I explained the situation to two of my professors in Medicine, but they were of the opinion that the cut had healed, and post-exposure prophylaxis was not warranted.
Three days later, (after having gone through a considerable volume of information on HIV) I noted that I had mild irritation of the pharynx. On palpating my neck, I was also able to feel two non-tender submandibular nodes, one on each side. The one on the left was about 1.5 cm long, rounded, soft, and mobile.The node on the right side was about 1 cm, somewhat flat, soft, and mobile.
I met a senior professor of Medicine once more but he said I was just anxious, and my throat seemed clear on examination.
Over the last 18 days (unto today), I have had intermittent mild irritation in my throat, and occasional mild odynophagia. I've also had minimal post-nasal discharge and throat discharge. The lymph nodes have become progressively smaller. The one the left side is now less than 1 cm, and the one on the right is barely palpable.
I have had no fever, rash, lymphadenopathy of other regions, myalgia, arthralgia, oral ulcers, weight loss, night sweats or altered appetite or bowel habit, which form part of the so-called 'acute retroviral syndrome'.
However, I have been left extremely worried. Do my symptoms suggest primary HIV infection? Or should I be consulting an ENT specialist?
I explained the situation to two of my professors in Medicine, but they were of the opinion that the cut had healed, and post-exposure prophylaxis was not warranted.
Three days later, (after having gone through a considerable volume of information on HIV) I noted that I had mild irritation of the pharynx. On palpating my neck, I was also able to feel two non-tender submandibular nodes, one on each side. The one on the left was about 1.5 cm long, rounded, soft, and mobile.The node on the right side was about 1 cm, somewhat flat, soft, and mobile.
I met a senior professor of Medicine once more but he said I was just anxious, and my throat seemed clear on examination.
Over the last 18 days (unto today), I have had intermittent mild irritation in my throat, and occasional mild odynophagia. I've also had minimal post-nasal discharge and throat discharge. The lymph nodes have become progressively smaller. The one the left side is now less than 1 cm, and the one on the right is barely palpable.
I have had no fever, rash, lymphadenopathy of other regions, myalgia, arthralgia, oral ulcers, weight loss, night sweats or altered appetite or bowel habit, which form part of the so-called 'acute retroviral syndrome'.
However, I have been left extremely worried. Do my symptoms suggest primary HIV infection? Or should I be consulting an ENT specialist?
Your nodes are most likely due to an infection that is causing your other symptoms, but for sure not HIV. There was NEVER an HIV risk from what you described.
Hope this helps
Hope this helps
NO,they don,t suggest primary hiv infection and NO,you should not be consulting an ENT specialists for the simple fact that you never had any risk of hiv transmission at all.Placing your hand on a plastic sheet is not an hiv risk under any circumstance.
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