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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Suggest Treatment For Accidental Ingestion Of Water Contaminated With Chemical Agents

Hello. I have a question regarding a HIV self-test I did at home (I live in France, said test is a lateral flow test type). It s a test where you collect a drop of blood and it enters a tube with a strip into it. Reaction then make one or two stripes appear depending on the result. I accidentally dropped the test in my water glass (was almost full I reckon) in the bathroom. Since I had a call I forgot about it and emptied the glass around 15 mins later. Since then, I ve been worried the chemical reagents used in the tests (and not my blood, test was re-done and negative), could have contaminated my water. I may sound paranoid but I read that in some tests they use HIV antigens or such as reagents, and since the tube was in contact with my tap water glass, I ve been scared the dilution or something of that kind, woke up the antigens and infected my water. As I mentionned, I emptied the glass 15mins after this happened, but I did not disinfect it. Also, my bf and I used this glass to rinse our mouths after teethbrushing around 10 hours later. My bf told me he had rinsed the glass once more before using it. My question is : Has this test exposed me and my bf to any risk ? Should have I disinfected the glass due to possible residues or am I just worrying too much ? I d like to add I suffer from OCD and severe anxiety. I m scared for my health most of the time. Thanks for your attention, and please forgive any grammatical error, english is not my first language.
Thu, 31 Oct 2019
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Pulmonologist 's  Response
Hello,

No need to worry much. Avoid stress and tension, be relax and calm. Watch for diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. If these symptoms are not seen then any need to worry.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Take care

Regards,
Dr Kaushal Bhavsar, Pulmonologist
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Suggest Treatment For Accidental Ingestion Of Water Contaminated With Chemical Agents

Hello, No need to worry much. Avoid stress and tension, be relax and calm. Watch for diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. If these symptoms are not seen then any need to worry. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Take care Regards, Dr Kaushal Bhavsar, Pulmonologist