Hi,
Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.
The risk for transmission after exposure to fluids or tissues other than HIV-infected blood has not been quantified but is probably considerably lower than for blood exposures.Transmission of HIV through intact skin has not been documented
Since your skin was intact,your chance of getting HIV or HCV infection is very low,especially if you have washed your hands with soap and water after examining the patient.
Soap and water is enough to inactivate HIV and most other bacteria/virus.
To allay your
anxiety ,you may try to know sero-status (HIV,HCV) of the patient with SLE ,you have examined ,if possible meanwhile.
Antibodies to HIV generally appear in the circulation 3–12 weeks following infection.
Hepatitis C-the
incubation period ranges from two weeks to six months.
The presence of anti-HCV (IgM)supports a diagnosis of
acute hepatitis C. Occasionally, testing for
HCV RNA or repeat anti-HCV testing later is necessary to establish the diagnosis.
Regards
Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D.
Mumbai