Unprofessional healthcare assistant; risk of infections?

[bdaniels]

I only just recovered from a severe bout of depression and suicidal thoughts and then this happens..
I was seen yesterday by a HCA (healthcare assistant) for a blood test after 3 months of waiting (due to being the victim of a random attack from a stranger a few months back.)

I was given an instant HIV test which came back negative. However I was still required to give blood samples for further lab work, to confirm the negative result conclusively (as instant tests are apparently not as reliable)

The HCA realised that he had forgotten to show me the results for this and went to retrieve the test sample from the waste bin (despite me repeatedly telling him that is not necessary to do so).

He then proceeded to carry out the taking venipuncture samples on me. He did not change his gloves (this was only something I realised in hindsight upon leaving the surgery). I was so stressed and focused on the outcomes of the instant test prior, therefore this is something that I did not think to ask at the time. However, I do feel that it is the staff member's responsibility to carry out tests according to the correct protocol, aseptic technique and health and safety protocols that they have been trained to do.  Although I wish I had asked in hindsight.

I believe that his protocol has put me at risk of contracting blood-borne diseases, as he may have come into contact with some when his hand was in the bin.

This situation has completely triggered anxious thoughts and panic attacks because of the nature of the risk. My health is something that I take very seriously, and I do not feel it is fair for my health to be put at risk like this.

However I am not a medic, so I want to know what the risks are from a medical standpoint. Should I have asked for PEP?

I've been through hell since the attack and I finally wanted closure. I obviously complained about this immediately to the practice manager but when she asked him what had happened, he said he changed his gloves - which he never did, and the case was dropped. I feel like I'm at loss here. For the sake of my own sanity, please advise me on what to do? I'm a complete nervous wreck.

[CurfewX]

I see that I answered you last year on a similar query, so I'm going to repeat what I said then:

Do not have unprotected, penetrative sex with someone of unknown status, and do not share IV needles with others, and you will never have to worry about HIV.  Even in health care settings, only a handful of people have ever been infected, and those situations were extreme.  

[bdaniels]

Thank you so much for your response. I can't begin to tell you how helpful it is to hear from a rational, level-headed mind in fear-inducing moments like this. So thank you for taking the time, I really appreciate it.


The reason I'm worried in more detail, is because to find my vein, he had to touch my arm quite extensively. In doing so, he could have smeared pathogens from the waste bin onto my skin; which could then enter my body when the needle pierced the skin and went into my vein. The fact that my vein is involved scares me. It means that the needle could have got contaminated on it way to my vein via the skin he touched. That's why I'm freaking out.

The practice mananger confirmed at a later point that the clinical waste bin had other instant test samples and old gloves from blood work with other patients.

Does that extra detail change your standpoint in any way? Or is PEP still unnecessary?

Many thanks (and I promise not to repeatedly reply)

[CurfewX]

There is NOTHING you could add that would change my assessment, short of suddenly remembering that he injected you with a syringe needle, directly into your vein - and that very obviously did not happen.  Put this behind you and move on.

[CurfewX]

You can put HIV out of your mind.  

The first reason is that HIV is actually a difficult virus to transmit, and would have to gain entry to your bloodstream by a lot larger, open, bleeding wound - not a blood draw wound.  That is highly insufficient to be a bloodstream entry point.  That's why one of the three risks is sharing intravenous needles - the content of the syringe remains in a vacuum and is injected DIRECTLY into your bloodstream.

The second reason is that HIV loses its ability to infect once it is outside of a living host (a person's body).  Whatever he touched in the trash can could NOT have transmitted HIV to you, because any material that could have a virus, would have a virus that was rendered non-infectious by exposure to the environment.

You didn't have an HIV risk, no matter what.  You don't need PEP and you don't need a test.  The biggest risk you encountered is bacterial infection at the site of blood draw (non-HIV or STD).