Hep C exposure

[LilLuLu7985]

I am a Paramedic and I went on a call where a Hep C person had dried blood and their hands. He used my pen after a few hours, I put that pen in my mouth. I forgot that he had used my pen. Is there anyway that I can contact Hep C with this type of exposure?

[rambleon40]

Thanks for doing what you do!

[Idyllic]

There little to no way to contract HCV by doing that kind of thing but that doesn't rule out other things. I agree with the other two posters - you never use your personal things on the patient. You always have a bunch of spare things around like pens and stuff for kids to keep them calm. With things like pens you rarely ever get them back since people are stressed and there is too much going on. Plus you aren't exactly in a sterile environment and you have to assume no one access to sanatiser or a way to wash their hands


Anyway you surely must already know this so breaking your habit of sticking your pen in your moth is a must.

[LilLuLu7985]

I do feel a little better. I have thrown that pen away and opened up a new pack of pens. Thanks for the response. I know that it was a stupid move. Its a habit I need to break. Usually gum chewing helps out a lot for me as I have to do something because I use to smoke and I am trying not to start back.

[dontworry_behappy1]

oceanothus is right..... duct tape sounds like a really good idea.  Make it
a point to never use a pen but your own.  I have mine on a nice id
holder rope that goes around my neck.  I always know exactly where it is.
You work in Safety..... be safe.

[ceanothus]

Gross! Sorry, I just couldn't hold that back. You've really got to get rid of that habit of putting your pen in your mouth, especially one handled by random strangers. As to HCV exposure, it sounds unlikely to me, as the virus is spread by blood to blood contact, so you would have had to have an open cut in your mouth. Even if you did have one, the risk would be reduced by the infected blood having been dry on the patients hands and by the elapsed time before you put the pen in your mouth. These factors just make it less likely though – they do not make it impossible. I would recommend having a test for the peace of mind. An antibody test would not give you a reliable answer for several months, but a quantitative HCV PCR type of test gives reliable results within 2 weeks of possible exposure. Then stop putting stuff in your mouth while at work. Maybe you can wrap your pen with layers of duct tape or something that will stop you from doing it absentmindedly?