Risk assessment- Seattle Area

Here is the situation: I work in a hotel at the front desk:

I was working one day in the hotel, and they were short staffed in Housekeeping, so I volunteered myself to help out.
I was wiping down in a room and somehow I cut my hand. I am not sure what I cut my hand on, might have been a desk or a mirror. I was working so fast I didnʼt realize it till a couple minutes after. I went to another room, and wouldnʼt you know it, I walked into the bathroom and there was blood on the counters, a towel and tissue. It appeared that someone got a nasty cut from shaving. I got a little paranoid and made the bed up and someone else came in and cleaned the bathroom. I then started making the bed and got nervous and put gloves on. I do not know if there was other blood on anything else in the room, or maybe the object I cut my hand on but it got me thinking. I also do not know how long the blood was in the room before we got there to clean it, he might have just left making the blood fresh.
I waited as long as I could, and I went and took an HIV test at the fine Harborview Medical Center in Seattle (what type of testing do they use?), that is where I live. I took the test at 41 days. It came back negative. Harborview's wonderful people told me the testing time was fine. Now my throat is killing me and I have been experiencing night sweats! I am trying to stay calm and not test like a maniac, just want to make sure I am in the clear. They are having a blood drive at my community center next week and I wanted to know if it is okay.
I have been in a relationship for over a year and this would be my only exposure.
In your personal opinion, do you think there was any risk for me since I got a small abrasion on my hand not knowing what I cut it on, and then possibly came in contact with the blood in the room? Do you think I should test again, do you see a lot of people coming back negative at 41 days and then it swinging the other way?

Thank you for your time!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Relax.  You have a major misunderstanding about HIV transmission risks.  No sex and no needle-sharing means no HIV risk.  If HIV could be transmitted in the ways you imagine -- by contacting bathroom surfaces, bedding, etc in rooms where HIV infected people have been -- AIDS would be a hundred times more common than it is and would not be classified as a sexually transmitted and blood-borne disease.  Look at it this way:  among the people who live full time in households with HIV infected people, and who regularly share bathrooms, eating utensils, and so on for years on end, nobody ever catches HIV (assuming they aren't also having sex with the infected person).  This is regardless of abrasions, cuts, etc that everybody gets from time to time.

You didn't need HIV testing, but the negative test at 6 weeks (41 days) is 100% proof you didn't catch HIV.  The Harborview STD clinic uses the highest reliability testing methods there are.  (I know; I directed that clinic for a quarter century, until 3 years ago, and Dr. Hook once worked there as well.  Say hello for us if you're in touch with the staff again!)

There is no restrition on your being a volunteer blood donor.  You don't need further HIV testing, but if you donate it will be done routinely by Puget Sound Blood Center.  The result will be negative.

Please do some self-education about HIV transmission.  Most people know that HIV isn't transmitted by the things you imagine, and you should bring yourself up to speed so you don't worry about other kinds of non-sexual contact with people.

I hope this helps.  Best wishes----  HHH, MD

[baygrl111]

Thank you very much. I appreciate your honest answer. And you are right. The Blood Bourne Pathogens training they give us here at the hotel blows a lot of things out of proportion. As well as my boyfriend is an EMT and it all freaks me out. I never thought about HIV till last year when I had my 1st test done, and a year later, it still lingers in my mind. I appreciate your time and your knowledge. You are a fine man, and the team at Harborview exhibits your same qualities of compassion and knowledge. I hope I don't have to go back, but if I do, I will say hi!

Thanks again!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Thanks for the thanks!  Take care.