Blood on hanger in store

[HelloThereGuys]

I work at a clothing store, and today I rang out a guy. As he set the shirt down by the hanger, I noticed blood smears on the clear plastic hanger. I had to take the shirt off the hanger, so I just tried to avoid the blood I saw. As I did this, I noticed he had blood smears on his fingers, and was rubbing at his nose with a tissue that also had blood on it. I assume he'd had a minor nosebleed. he sat down the cash, I took it, and didn't see any blood on the bill, but I didn't look closely, just a quick glance as I put it in the cash wrap. I then folded the shirt and sent him on his way.
I then went in the back room and checked my hands for any of his blood that may have gotten on me from either the bloody hanger, the money, or the shirt. I didn't see anything obvious, so I went back to work. Hours later, I checked again. I had been touching all kinds of things in between, so any blood present might have been been rubbed off, but again, I didn't notice anty. I'm freaked out because I had two day-old tiny cuts (one a hang nail, the other a 2x3 millimeter scratch) on my left hand, and I don't know if the blood touched it. I did have a coat of liquid bandage over both of them, and I neither were bleeding, being a day old. But as I checked my hands, I rubbed at the hangnail and it started to bleed a bit, so maybe it was bleeding at the time I rang the guy out. I never touched him, but I'm afraid that the blood left on the hanger could have gotten into the hangnail and infected me, and then got rubbed off by me touching things before I could notice it. I didn't look very carefully at that hangnail directly after ringing him out, I just glanced quickly, but what if there was blood from the hanger that got into it that I just didn't notice? I'm freaking out. Could I have been infected? I don't know if the blood was fresh or not, he had been carrying the shirt around for like 15 minutes, but it may have gotten on the hanger just seconds before I touched it. Was this a risk?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

HIV is ot spread on door knobs, nor on money that might had some blood on it.  

Your anxiety about HIV is excessive.  HIV is spread through sex and through injection using contaminated needles, not through any of the casual sorts of interactions you mention.  EWH

[HelloThereGuys]

Thank you for the quick reply, doctor, it was much appreciated. Just so I'm clear, could you verify the risk of two other incidences? It's winter here in Minnesota, and so my hands, especially the knuckles, are very dry. They are red in spots, and may have teeny tiny cuts/cracks in them. Today at work, I was waiting for the bathroom to vacate, and when the girl who had been in there came out, I immediately went in, and realized why she had taken so long. There was menstrual blood all over the cabinet and spot on the floor and toilet. I didn't touch anything that had any obvious blood on it, but I touched the inner and outer doorknobs that she had touched just seconds before, and I think it likely that, due to the big mess in the room, she left some blood on the doorknobs. I didn't see anything obvious on my hands when I checked a few minutes after opening the door, and wiped down the knobs with a tissue, a few minutes afterwards as well, I ddidn't see anything on the tissue. Would it be a risk if I got some of her fresh blood on my very dry hands (that might have tiny, 1-2mm cuts on them)? Or would this also not be a risk? Would I need to have a very deep, bleeding wound in order to be at risk from fresh blood on surfaces? Also, what about blood on money that may have been fresh? I noticed some bloody money when I counted down the register, I don't know when/if I touched it, and if it was fresh.
 Obviously, I have an anxiety problem, and I'm very sorry to trouble you. I intend to get some help from my university's mental health resources. Is fear of contracting HIV something that can be overcome? Lately, I feel like blood is everywhere, and just waiting to get me.
   Once again, thank you very much. You do crazies like me a great service. I won't bother you again.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

There is no risk at all for HIV from this possible (but unlikely) exposure.  Most importantly, HIV is not spread by surface contamination of cuts and wounds of the sort you describe- it needs to be inserted deep into tissue (as with a needle stick). Furthermore, HIV is spread through direct contact, not by indirect contact of the sort you describe. Finally, the chance that this person had HIV anyway is very small


There is no reason for concern and no reason for testing.  I hope my comment helps. EWH