Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Are The Chances Of Hepatitis Infection After Injury?
Question: Doctor,
Yesterday night a glass plate broke at my place scattering many small pieces of glass everywhere.The place was cleaned as much as it could.I would like to mention that there were more than fifty people at my house at the time and many of them cut their feet.Everyone left the same night yesterday.
Today morning i cut my feet because of a tiny sharp glass piece.What if someone with stds like hepatitis C , HIV, hepatitis B cut themselves and i cut myself from the same piece of glass...
what are the chances of acquiring stds especially HIV , Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B??
Yesterday night a glass plate broke at my place scattering many small pieces of glass everywhere.The place was cleaned as much as it could.I would like to mention that there were more than fifty people at my house at the time and many of them cut their feet.Everyone left the same night yesterday.
Today morning i cut my feet because of a tiny sharp glass piece.What if someone with stds like hepatitis C , HIV, hepatitis B cut themselves and i cut myself from the same piece of glass...
what are the chances of acquiring stds especially HIV , Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B??
Brief Answer:
Unlikely to transmit HIV, Hepatitis C or Hepatitis through shards of glass
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX
Thanks for writing in to us.
Your question is very important and I am glad to be replying to the best of my knowledge.
As you may be aware of most of the viral infections are transmitted through a vehicle. The HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infections are transmitted by blood and body fluids.
Coming to your question, please be assured that there is negligible chance of getting HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infection should you have small cuts on yourself with shards of glass.
Please remember that for a disease like HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infections to be transmitted, the following events should have occurred:
1. The glass should have been contaminated with HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infection blood.
2. Another person having HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infection should have got a wound large enough to allow infected blood onto the shards of glass.
3. You should have hurt yourself with the same glass containing infected blood and must cause a large wound with lot of active bleeding to permit the virus to enter into you.
As far I have known, I re assure that I have not come across a single patient who has got infected by HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infections after accidentally stepping on shards of broken glass and getting cuts on their feet.
Please be relaxed and do not be concerned.
Always please be cautious and avoid touching another persons blood if you have got cuts which are actively bleeding. This holds good in any situation in your daily life.
Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Unlikely to transmit HIV, Hepatitis C or Hepatitis through shards of glass
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX
Thanks for writing in to us.
Your question is very important and I am glad to be replying to the best of my knowledge.
As you may be aware of most of the viral infections are transmitted through a vehicle. The HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infections are transmitted by blood and body fluids.
Coming to your question, please be assured that there is negligible chance of getting HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infection should you have small cuts on yourself with shards of glass.
Please remember that for a disease like HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infections to be transmitted, the following events should have occurred:
1. The glass should have been contaminated with HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infection blood.
2. Another person having HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infection should have got a wound large enough to allow infected blood onto the shards of glass.
3. You should have hurt yourself with the same glass containing infected blood and must cause a large wound with lot of active bleeding to permit the virus to enter into you.
As far I have known, I re assure that I have not come across a single patient who has got infected by HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infections after accidentally stepping on shards of broken glass and getting cuts on their feet.
Please be relaxed and do not be concerned.
Always please be cautious and avoid touching another persons blood if you have got cuts which are actively bleeding. This holds good in any situation in your daily life.
Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
Doctor,
Yesterday i went to a hospital for ENT CHECKUP . The doctor was an ENT specialist.
First of all,i would like to mention that i have a wound inside my nose which was bleeding 50 minutes before i went to the doctor.The wound happened because my nose had become dry and i tries to dig my nose and my nose bled very heavily.
Ohk,then when i went to the doctor for check up, He used instruments clearly unsterilized on me.he used an instrument(cone shape) which he inserted in my ear and after that he used an instrument which he put in my nose to check my nose. he also used an instrument which he placed on my tongue.
before i went in there was another patient..There was at the most a 60 second gap between the instrument used on the other patient and the instrument used on me!
AM i at risk of Stds like Hepatitis C,Hiv and hepatitis B?
he inserted the instrument inside my nostrils.Inside my ear cavity...not deep inside(it was a cone like structure) and inside my mouth to check the throat.
Doctor did not use any solution to dip the instruments.
Different instruments were used for examination of each part.
Yesterday i went to a hospital for ENT CHECKUP . The doctor was an ENT specialist.
First of all,i would like to mention that i have a wound inside my nose which was bleeding 50 minutes before i went to the doctor.The wound happened because my nose had become dry and i tries to dig my nose and my nose bled very heavily.
Ohk,then when i went to the doctor for check up, He used instruments clearly unsterilized on me.he used an instrument(cone shape) which he inserted in my ear and after that he used an instrument which he put in my nose to check my nose. he also used an instrument which he placed on my tongue.
before i went in there was another patient..There was at the most a 60 second gap between the instrument used on the other patient and the instrument used on me!
AM i at risk of Stds like Hepatitis C,Hiv and hepatitis B?
he inserted the instrument inside my nostrils.Inside my ear cavity...not deep inside(it was a cone like structure) and inside my mouth to check the throat.
Doctor did not use any solution to dip the instruments.
Different instruments were used for examination of each part.
Brief Answer:
Unlikely transmission of HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infections yest
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing back with an update.
Though transmission of diseases like HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B are least likely by using external surgical instruments, it is surprising to me that your doctor did not rinse the nasal speculum and tongue depressor with antiseptic solutions like chlorhexidine. The ear instrument is usually disinfected with a piece of cloth dipped in a disinfectant.
In my set up, we regularly rinse instruments in disinfectant solutions like chlorhexidine before using on the next patient.
However, please do not worry about transmission of HIV, Hepatitis C or Hepatitis B infections during your visit to ENT specialist yesterday.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Unlikely transmission of HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B infections yest
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing back with an update.
Though transmission of diseases like HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B are least likely by using external surgical instruments, it is surprising to me that your doctor did not rinse the nasal speculum and tongue depressor with antiseptic solutions like chlorhexidine. The ear instrument is usually disinfected with a piece of cloth dipped in a disinfectant.
In my set up, we regularly rinse instruments in disinfectant solutions like chlorhexidine before using on the next patient.
However, please do not worry about transmission of HIV, Hepatitis C or Hepatitis B infections during your visit to ENT specialist yesterday.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
i would like to explain that i did not imply that the instruments used on me and the previous patient were different. i meant that for my check up of EAR an instrument( a cone shaped structure which went down my ear canal) was used followed by a holder like thing which pressed against(roughly) the upper part of my nostrils followed by the use of an instrument used to lower my toungue to check the throat.
I CLEARLY MENTION THAT DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS WERE NOT USED FOR EAR NOSE AND THROAT CHECK UP OF THE PREVIOUS PATIENT.
THE INSTRUMENTS WERE INSERTED IN THE NOSTIL , IN THE EAR CANAL AND INSIDE THE MOUTH...so they clearly had the saliva and body fluids maybe even blood of the previous patient.
I hope that the person was healthy....but as soon as i walked into the doctors room..the doctor asked his assistant to call the lab and check the patients sample he had collected for hbv and hiv and couple of things i dont remember....hence my anxiousness.
It was not a mere touch in the nose.As i mentioned before the doctor used a clipper(holder) type instrument with which he pushed the upper part of nostril upwars to peek inside and have a look...and it was rough with it.
is the ear canal covered with skin...AND THE DOCTOR PUSHED THAT CONE TYPE STRUCTURE INSIDE MY EAR CANAL SLIGHTLY...WHICH RESULTED IN MY EAR WAX STICKING TO THE OBJECT.DOES EAR WAX SPREAD STDS??
And lastly, i hope the doctor changed his instruments which i m 99%sure he never did...i even asked my mom and she also said she doesnt remember him doing so...infact she mentions tthat she clearly remembers he picked up the same instruments which he had kept on the table.
SO ASSUMING THE WORST...THAT THE PATIENT BEFORE ME HAD STDS ESPECIALLY HEPATITIS C ,HIV AND HEPATITIS B....WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF TRANSMISSION...SHOULD I BE WORRIED?? SHOULD I GET TESTED AND DO YOU KNOW AnYONE WHO HAS CAUGHT HEPATITIS C ,HIV AND HEPATITIS B LIKE THIS...
Also what are the risk of Herpes ,Hpv and syphylis in this case??
NOTE: i read your previous answered questions to other users about stds..and you asked about vaccinations often...and i would like to mention that i was vaccinated for hep b when i was a child but not sure if its still valid.
i look forward to hearing from you and helping me....im kind of scared!!
MOST IMPORTANTLY...
there was a 50 to 70 second(at the most) betwwen the instruments being used on me and the previous patient..i thought that would help you answer the question.
I would like to add that they were the same instruments for me and the previous patient.
I CLEARLY MENTION THAT DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS WERE NOT USED FOR EAR NOSE AND THROAT CHECK UP OF THE PREVIOUS PATIENT.
THE INSTRUMENTS WERE INSERTED IN THE NOSTIL , IN THE EAR CANAL AND INSIDE THE MOUTH...so they clearly had the saliva and body fluids maybe even blood of the previous patient.
I hope that the person was healthy....but as soon as i walked into the doctors room..the doctor asked his assistant to call the lab and check the patients sample he had collected for hbv and hiv and couple of things i dont remember....hence my anxiousness.
It was not a mere touch in the nose.As i mentioned before the doctor used a clipper(holder) type instrument with which he pushed the upper part of nostril upwars to peek inside and have a look...and it was rough with it.
is the ear canal covered with skin...AND THE DOCTOR PUSHED THAT CONE TYPE STRUCTURE INSIDE MY EAR CANAL SLIGHTLY...WHICH RESULTED IN MY EAR WAX STICKING TO THE OBJECT.DOES EAR WAX SPREAD STDS??
And lastly, i hope the doctor changed his instruments which i m 99%sure he never did...i even asked my mom and she also said she doesnt remember him doing so...infact she mentions tthat she clearly remembers he picked up the same instruments which he had kept on the table.
SO ASSUMING THE WORST...THAT THE PATIENT BEFORE ME HAD STDS ESPECIALLY HEPATITIS C ,HIV AND HEPATITIS B....WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF TRANSMISSION...SHOULD I BE WORRIED?? SHOULD I GET TESTED AND DO YOU KNOW AnYONE WHO HAS CAUGHT HEPATITIS C ,HIV AND HEPATITIS B LIKE THIS...
Also what are the risk of Herpes ,Hpv and syphylis in this case??
NOTE: i read your previous answered questions to other users about stds..and you asked about vaccinations often...and i would like to mention that i was vaccinated for hep b when i was a child but not sure if its still valid.
i look forward to hearing from you and helping me....im kind of scared!!
MOST IMPORTANTLY...
there was a 50 to 70 second(at the most) betwwen the instruments being used on me and the previous patient..i thought that would help you answer the question.
I would like to add that they were the same instruments for me and the previous patient.
Brief Answer:
Chance of sexually transmitted infections is almost nil
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing back with an update.
I understand your anxiety and would like to share my views as below.
1. Ideally your doctor should have used a cleansing liquid to dip the instruments after using it on the previous patient.
2. The ear canal and lining of nostrils are lined by thin skin and there is almost nil possibility of getting Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B or HIV in this way.
3. Ear wax will never spread STDs and Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B or HIV infections.
4. Considering the worst case scenario, the transmission of Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B and HIV is almost nil.
5. Herpes, HPV and syphilis are transmitted by sexual route or orally. ENT instruments will not cause transmission. Herpes is more transmissible through blisters and syphilis is through sores. In the absence of such open wounds there is almost no transmission risk.
6. The Hepatitis B vaccine taken in childhood will provide some passive immunity to you. This protection can be enhanced by taking another course of vaccinations.
7. The 50 or 70 seconds time interval is of no significance as long there was no discharging or bleeding wound in the other person.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Chance of sexually transmitted infections is almost nil
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing back with an update.
I understand your anxiety and would like to share my views as below.
1. Ideally your doctor should have used a cleansing liquid to dip the instruments after using it on the previous patient.
2. The ear canal and lining of nostrils are lined by thin skin and there is almost nil possibility of getting Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B or HIV in this way.
3. Ear wax will never spread STDs and Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B or HIV infections.
4. Considering the worst case scenario, the transmission of Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B and HIV is almost nil.
5. Herpes, HPV and syphilis are transmitted by sexual route or orally. ENT instruments will not cause transmission. Herpes is more transmissible through blisters and syphilis is through sores. In the absence of such open wounds there is almost no transmission risk.
6. The Hepatitis B vaccine taken in childhood will provide some passive immunity to you. This protection can be enhanced by taking another course of vaccinations.
7. The 50 or 70 seconds time interval is of no significance as long there was no discharging or bleeding wound in the other person.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
