Hep C in urine

[BNS16087]

Hi,

I am a nurse in the ER. Two days ago I was collecting a urine specimen from a patient. In our hospital we use the the BD vacutainer collection cups, which have a needle in them to make collection easier. The patient had given me the cup with urine in it, as I took the sticker off over the needle area, my hand slipped and I poked my finger. I immediately took my gloves off, squeezed the blood from the stick, wiped with alcohol swap and then squeezed more blood while washing my hands with hot soapy water. The patient was hep c positive. I am currently 23 weeks pregnant and worried sick over this incident. The patients labs showed RBC in urine was 1 and the blood urine came back neg, I am just wondering if I should continue to worry about this or just relax until I can be tested in 3-6 months.

Thank you!

B

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

Hello B,

If there is blood in the urine, then there could be Hep C virus in the urine.

You should discuss all aspects of your health with your OB.

~ Dr. Parks

This answer provided to you is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this Medhelp.org posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

[BNS16087]

Also, should I talk to my ob/gyn about the possibility of a c-section to protect my baby if I end up seroconverting to hep c positive?

[BNS16087]

Dr. Parks, thank you very much for your answer. My last tetanus was two years ago, but I am getting another soon before the birth of my baby. Is there live  hep c virus in urine?

[BNS16087]

Dr. Parks, thank you very much for your answer. My last tetanus was two years ago, but I am getting another soon before the birth of my baby. Is there live  hep c virus in urine?

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

Hello,

While I cannot say that your risk is zero, your risk for Hep C/HIV based on the details that you have shared is very, very low if not close to zero.

Best practices are to draw baseline labs (HIV and Hep C) and then re-test at 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months.

When was your last tetanus vaccination?

~ Dr. Parks

This answer provided to you is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this Medhelp.org posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.