Pelvic exam with gloves but unclean hands

[Marialopes]

So yesterday I went to the gyno -couldn't see my doctor so I saw an NP or PA.  She came in, shook my hand, did not wash her hands, grabbed gloves to put on with the unclean hands (even if they were washed before she entered the room, she'd then touched my hand and the door knob), then with the gloves she later examined me with adjusted the light, opened drawers etc., finished the exam and didn't wash her hands. I hope she washed them before seeing her next patient somewhere outside the exam room but I have no idea. I should have said, hey, can you wash your hands, but I was too shocked. A health care attorney I know said a while back that there was a hospital where people were leaving with infections and turns out that it was b/cproviders were using gloves but not hand washing.
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> So my questions are: would you be concerned if you gyno didn't wash her hands after touching unsanitized surfaces and then touched the gloves exteriror and examined you?
> Would you be concerned if those same gloves touched other unsanitized surfaces in the room? I know that bacteria can live on hard surfaces like lights and door handles for a long time and hope to hell that gloes that examined someone else hadn't been on those surfaces. She assured me that things like STIs can't live outside of bodily secretions but it really bothers me those gloves were touched by unwashed hands and surfaces. Am I worried for nothing?  I'm mostly worried about something horrible and incurrable like hepatitis, herpes or even HIV.

[mkh9]

Yes I think you should see what is going on. I think you might have Pelvic inflammatory disease or PID. But, it is curious that you got it soon after the incident. I would tell the doctor your concerns and be honest. If they picked up the gloves the wrong way it is possible you could have acquired an infection. Still, it is very unlikely despite how it sounds though not impossible. For PID it takes quite a while to get this kind of infection. A week or two at least. October is quite a while ago. It is possible that something has come up since your ultrasound...I'm also thinking you may have a cyst on the ovary but then the doctor should have felt this. Let me know how it goes Ok?
mkh9

[nadylina]

Thanks for your reply,
I don't have the PAP test results, yet. I did a culture test, as well, but nothing yet. After she checked my pelvis, she said everything was normal. I went to doctor (she is a family dr. no Gyn) just for a routine exam not for any problem, I mean I didn't have any pain before. I did also a routine pelvic Ultrasound in October 2013 and everything was OK. That's why I'm so worried now and don't know what to do...I will go today to ask about results and hopefully to speak with dr. about this pain.

[mkh9]

p.s. also, other things besides bacteria can cause pelvic pain. You may need to get a uterine ultrasound to see if you have fibroids, ovarian cysts or endometriosis or anything else abnormal. Let me know how it goes.
mkh9

[mkh9]

Hi, I saw your message. I think it is gross that the doctor touched the trash and didn't wash his/her hands before putting gloves on. I doubt that you got an infection this way despite your pain. I mean it is very unlikely. Did you get your results back from the PAP smear yet? Did the doctor say anything about your ovaries or feeling anything abnormal when he/she did the pelvic exam? If it turns out negative I would go back to a different doctor or talk to that one about them washing their hands or report them. But you may need to get a vaginal culture. You could also have pelvic inflammatory disease. This probably isn't from this pelvic exam. It really isn't likely you got it that way. However, you can get tested for Gardnerella vaginallis, Mobiluncus sp. Bacteroides fragilis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Ureaplasma urealyticum. These can start as vaginal infections and then can get into the fallopian tube area and up near the ovaries etc. and cause pain and damage.  
mkh9

[nadylina]

Hi there, I was happy when I've seen this discussion, but unfortunately I'm not sure if it's still active
Anyway, I will tell my almost similar story. I live in Canada. I had a pelvic exam, pap test 3 days ago. After that exam I have pelvic pain from both sides and back pain as well. I have never had such pain before after gynecological exam or pap test. I'm wondering If I could get an infection during the exam, as the Dr. touched a lot of surfaces from room (her chair, garbage bin, the box with medical instruments) with her weared gloves hands before she started to check me. Moreover I'm sure she didn't wash her hands before wearing the gloves. Now I'm so worried, could I have got an infection? and blame myself why I didn't ask her to change her gloves immediately before starting the exam not touching everything was possible and then examining. Thanks

[mkh9]

Hi, you brought up a great point. I rarely see doctors wash their hands in the room. I figure they wash them before but generally they don't. Yes they can transmit infections with their hands and their neckties. That is one way resistant staph and other bacteria and viruses are transmitted. But, since the doctor was wearing gloves during the exam, it is highly unlikely to get anything from that. If the doctor put the gloves on and touched other surfaces there is a potential to get staph aureus and some other organisms like that. If they didn't then I wouldn't worry about it. You can't get an STD from surfaces as these organisms can't live outside the body. Most bacteria on surfaces won't cause an infection in the vaginal area due to the high PH of the vaginal area and there are already lots of bacteria in the vaginal area that are normal bacteria that area the same bugs you see in the environment. Also, the same with viruses they cannot survive long outside the body and the viruses that would generally be on surfaces would flu, cold viruses, etc. and they can survive a while but won't infect you in the vaginal area as their route of infection is respiratory. HIV won't survive long in the environment at all. It is not transmitted that way. So, the main organism that you might get would be Staph aureus. Whether you could get a vaginal infection that way is very unlikely as well but not impossible. Again if they were wearing gloves you wouldn't get staph either. Personally, I am usually afraid to ask a clinician to wash their hands because I think they may treat you badly (even though they shouldn't). I think most doctors would actually take it better than some people but I usually don't bring this up unless there is a gross mishandling or obviously unclean area. That isn't to say you shouldn't bring it up I think you want to or feel uncomfortable you should. You sound like a very knowledeable person.  I hope this helps.
mkh9

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? I understand your concern regarding your previous experience. Washing of hands before and after a pelvic exam and using sterile gloves during the examination is indeed a standard procedure. While some organisms do not live long on surfaces, it is best that you discuss this with  the specific person and your attending to address this practice and to make sure that standard procedure is observed all the time. Take care and regards.