Blood in hospital

[Sophiawell]

I ended up in the hospital yesterday because I cut myself deeply with a knife. While I was waiting to be seen I noticed quite a few other patients that were bleeding as well. I read in the forums that HIV can be transmitted through two bleeding wounds that would require stitches, that mine did. I did my best to avoid the other patients, but I was always in close proximity to them. One patient was bleeding from the back of his head. When the nurse took my vital signs he wasn't wearing gloves, which leads me to believe he didn't wear gloves with other bleeding patients. What of he had blood from these patients on his hand and then touched me? I am very scared now that I have been placed at risk for HIV from other bleeding patients at the hospital, please advise me what I should do, thank you. Also, I was wearing flip flops and I am sure there was blood on the floor.

[nursegirl6572]

You are 100% correct!  Sadly, the education of HIV hasn't improved much at all.

[Sophiawell]

You are right nursegirl people do have a very overinflated view of how HIV is transmitted. Being a child of the 80/90s the education that I got on how HIV is transmitted must be very outdated. It was a disease we were brought up and taught to fear. Now I hardly ever hear any updates on HIV research, so I am left with what I was taught when I was younger. As for hcv I guess I was older when it really became publicized and I don't think the media instilled as much fear in us as they did with aids.

[nursegirl6572]

You're correct, still no risk.

I'm not afraid of being around germs, HIV, Hep...etc, because I'm EDUCATED abnout what is and isn't a risk, and with HIV, very little is a risk.  Most people have a very overinflated view of HIV transmission.

[Sophiawell]

Thank you. So even if some of another patients blood got into my deep cut, there is no risk?

I was my first time in the er and hope never to return, I couldn't managing being a nurse or doctor working in that environment. I am very grateful for what they do, but I would be so scared all the time with the trams.

[nursegirl6572]

I read in the forums that HIV can be transmitted through two bleeding wounds that would require stitches, that mine did.

You took that out of context.  That would only be a risk if two people, both with heavily bleeding severe wounds basically bled all over one another.

If people could get HIV in the manner you described, the whole world would be infected as a result of visiting hospitals and ERs.  You had no risk.