very worried

[leigh32]

Im a nurse and was exposed to a couple of patients blood (on my hands) a few months ago, although none of the patients were known hepatitis c/b, im now convincing myself that i have cought hep c, the patients were not tested. the reason is that i think i have symptoms (diarohea, nausea at times, abdo pain). i went to my locaL GUM clinic who did a test which was negative, but they said you have to wait 3 months before it would show in your blood so that test only covered me to the end of october, i now have to wait a further 4 weeks before i can take a test again which would cover me for those exposures. the dr at the clinic suggested my symptoms could be anxiety, which could be true as im worried to the point of being terrified. i took a firstvue std hep c test which i got of the internet which was negative but this was exactly 8 weeks after the exposure, what i want to know is was this too soon to be accurate? im going out of my mind. there is no way i could have caught this any other way (never done drugs, been with same partner for 5 years) thanks for reading this. also i did have a few scabbed over cuts on my hands, dont think the blood went on them but not 100% sure.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The chances you acquired hepatitis C are close to very low.  Let's discuss why:

1.  You do not know that your patients had hepatitis C.  Unless you are working in a hepatology, HIV, or drug use clinic odds are they were not.
2.  Your skin (even with scabbed cuts) is an excellent defense against infection.  The virus does not pass or cross it well.
3.  You are a professional, hands washing works.
4.  Symptoms are terribly non-specific and there are innumerable other reason for you to have the symptoms you describe.
5.  You have a negative test at eight weeks and while it is best to wait till 12 weeks to be sure, most infections, particularly if they are causing symptoms, would have shown up by now.

The evidence and odds are all in your favor.  Rest comfortable while you wait for your 12 week test that you are very unlikely to have caught hepatitis C.

Hope thishelps.  EWH

[leigh32]

thanks for the reassurance, but can i ask one more question. the firstvue test i got from the internet - what are the chances of it being accurate, the test itself states 99%, but when you buy things of the internet you really dont know what your buying, have you heard of this test? and its accuracy? thanks again

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I am not personally familiar with the firstvue test so AI looked it up on their website.  The test is U.S. FDA approved, thus it has been rigorously tested. You can have confidence in the result.  EWH

[monkeyflower]

I'd think that contact with blood is not uncommon in nursing. In all seriousness, it seems to me that if you're this freaked out about it, maybe this isn't the field for you--or maybe not the right type of practice. You might also benefit from talking to your doctor and maybe a counselor about your anxieties over this exposure.

[leigh32]

Yeah, i know your right, thats exactly what the DR who did my first test said at the GUM clinic. the thing is i seem to get more symptoms everyday, and while i know extreme anxiety can cause physical symptoms it just seems like too much of a coincedence to me and make me feel even worse. if my 12 week test comes back negative ill consider talking to someone, i dont want this to affect my career. thanks for your input, much appreciated.

[monkeyflower]

Not that you asked, and not to beat a dead horse... It seems to me that you've chosen a career that makes exposure to blood and other bodily fluids not only possible, but likely. If you're going to freak every time this happens, you're going to be incredibly miserable and anxious all the time, and you're going to burn out fast. Personally, I wouldn't wait 12 weeks to make an appt to see someone. The test results will be negative, but that's irrelevant. Why not get the help you need now?

[leigh32]

Because, i still have too many days where i think the results will be positive, too many symptoms - i seem to wake up with a new ache avery day, nausea, r sided abdo pain, dark urine, and more. in nursing if you take all the precautions available you are unlikly to actually come into a situation like this, except in emergency situations. i just got unlucky that i didnt have time to put gloves on when the patient bled out. if i wasnt having these symptoms i dont hink i would be giving it a second thought. x

[leigh32]

Can you answer one more question for me, how long after exposure does a test become positive. the dr i saw at the GUM clinic said to wait 3 months, and ive only got 3 weeks left now to take the test, but ive read on some internet sites you should wait 6 months, why are there differences? bearing in mind i live in the uk and the testing might be different from the us, i dont know. surely my dr cannot say its definatly negative at 3 months if that was not true? this goes for hep c and hiv, thanks. (ive been so worried the last 3 months and feeling relieved that that time is nearly up, i dont know how ill wait ANOTHER 3 months fi im supposed too)

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Three months should be sufficient.  Most of the tests available in the UK are also available in the US and go through the same evaluation process.  All are quite good.  The longer out the test from the exposure, the greater the proportion of infections which are going to develop and be detected.  Thus, although most tests pick up many positives by 2-3 weeks, to be sure we recommend 3 months (12 weeks) since at that time well over 99% of tests which are going to become positive are.  For you, given the low risk of your exposure to start with, I would consider a 12 week test absolutely definitive.  EWH