
Had Blood Drawn. Noticed That The Nurse Had Hole In Her Glove Also Blood Stain. Not Replaced From He Previous Patient. Chances Of HIV Infection?

Welcome to XXXXXXX
Thanks for posting your query.
I can understand your anxiety as you are going to get engaged soon.
The answer to all your questions is same and the chances of getting HIV/STD is negligible.
Wearing gloves is mainly to protect the health care provider, nurse or phlebotomist and to an less extent to prevent the transmission to the patient.
Even if the nurse is a HIV positive woman, or if she handled a HIV positive individual just prior to handle you, If she could touch the needle and if she had touched the point of puncture, HIV and STD can not be transmitted in these ways.
Genital or anal contact with minor abrasion and exchange of body fluids can only transmit the infection. Spreading through touching is negligible as per CDC, Atlanta.
So you need not worry about this.
Dr S.Murugan


I'm a little confused w the word negligible I guess. I thought if the nurse accidentally touched the needle and contaminated that would be enough to infect me bc the Needle would have gone deep enough in the body to infect. Sorry to bother w my questions.
Thank u
Welcome back.
All the situations narrated by you is not so uncommon in health care set up. Health care providers usually wash their hands with antiseptic lotions or with soap and water after handling one patient with gloved hands which protects them and also the next patients handled by them. Like wise needles will not be touched by a well trained provider, even if it had been touched it will be touched with the sterilized fingers at least with the surgical spirit.
So you will not get HIV or STD through this method. In our more than 20 years of experience, there was no such incidence happened even though such situations were happened quite often.
Negligible, the word used by the CDC, Atlanta and it means almost nil.
Dr S.Murugan
y


Welcome back.
Normally a health care provider is expected to seal her wound with waterproof dressing before wearing a gloves, has to dispose if the gloves if torn or broken and change new gloves, wash the gloves in between seeing patients and if she received any wound during duty, they have to take care of the wound and then go for their work if it is possible.
There may be deviations according to their situations and need.
Anyhow, the chances of getting HIV/STD is remote through such contamination of blood through the break in gloves.
Once again I assure you that your chance to get STD and HIV is negligible.
DR S.Murugan

Answered by

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
