Aa
Is this a risk?
Dear Doctor,
I had an electrician visit my house a couple of days earlier. During using the drill machine he cut himself. It was bleeding initially, but by the time he showed it to me (5 minutes later) it had stopped, but I could see a raw wound about 1 cm long and half a centimeter deep, with blood all around.
I used a cotton wool dipped in antiseptic solution to clean the wound then applied neosporin powder and sealed it with a band aid. I was at home with no gloves available and the urgency at that situation required to help him. Probably the only contact I may have had with his blood was while cleaning the wound with the cotton wool. I don't have any visible bleeding wounds on my hand, probably just a bit raw and red due to my habit of biting my fingers.
Is this a risk? Do I need to worry over this situation?
I had an electrician visit my house a couple of days earlier. During using the drill machine he cut himself. It was bleeding initially, but by the time he showed it to me (5 minutes later) it had stopped, but I could see a raw wound about 1 cm long and half a centimeter deep, with blood all around.
I used a cotton wool dipped in antiseptic solution to clean the wound then applied neosporin powder and sealed it with a band aid. I was at home with no gloves available and the urgency at that situation required to help him. Probably the only contact I may have had with his blood was while cleaning the wound with the cotton wool. I don't have any visible bleeding wounds on my hand, probably just a bit raw and red due to my habit of biting my fingers.
Is this a risk? Do I need to worry over this situation?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
Exposure to blood outside a health care setting is one of those theoretical risks for HIV that has never actually happened -- at least there are no reported cases of it. The odds the electrician had HIV are low; and even if he did, there is no way your bloodstream was exposed to the virus, so the chance of transmission from the sort of events you describe are zero. There is no risk, you don't need to worry, and should not have an HIV test on account of this event.
I hope this help. Best regards-- HHH, MD
Exposure to blood outside a health care setting is one of those theoretical risks for HIV that has never actually happened -- at least there are no reported cases of it. The odds the electrician had HIV are low; and even if he did, there is no way your bloodstream was exposed to the virus, so the chance of transmission from the sort of events you describe are zero. There is no risk, you don't need to worry, and should not have an HIV test on account of this event.
I hope this help. Best regards-- HHH, MD
Thank you Doctor. Forgetting and moving on.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Yes, any and all antiseptics (and soap and water) instantaneously kill HIV.
But I encourge you to not focus on (or search the web about) such things as survival of HIV. The important fact is that nobody in the world ever caught HIV from an event like this. The biological reasons don't matter.
But I encourge you to not focus on (or search the web about) such things as survival of HIV. The important fact is that nobody in the world ever caught HIV from an event like this. The biological reasons don't matter.
Dear Dr. HHH
Would really appreciate if you would answer my question.
Thanks
Would really appreciate if you would answer my question.
Thanks
Thank you very much doctor. I have just one more question. I realize exposure to air kills the virus. Does exposure to an antiseptic liquid like Savalon also render it ineffective?
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