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Can HIV Be Transmitted Through Open Wound?
Question: Okay so here it goes ,
Greetings to everyone and very sorry in advance if anybody thinks I'm stupid. I have been on web for a long time now .
I have read every bit of info which has been provided around but still I'm very paranoid about my possible exposure.
It so happened that 10-12 days ago I touched a barbecue stick with my thumb and index finger. I burnt myself superficially or at XXXXXXX partial dermal I guess. It was stingy(but did not bleed at all) and within a day or two it stopped paining. I had this white dead skin which looked like a tiny blister on it which fell off eventually about 3-4 days back and I had pinkish red skin underneath . No pain or burning anymore over it.
It so happened that I was in the gym on Tuesday and a guy hurt himself by dropping a plate on his toe, he started bleeding pretty profusely and I impulsively tried providing some assistance by wrapping a tissue around it and in the process so had some blood over my wound as well .
Since then I have been scared beyond my own understanding as to how much risk Did I put myself at.
Web has provided me variable information and I'm aware that theoretically since I had a wound with fresh blood in contact (albiet a healing wound )
Can I have an honest assessment about how likely is it for transmission to occur this way.
So basically I burnt myself 12 days back and had blood on the same wound 10 days after I burnt myself .
People talk about fresh wounds/deep wounds /copious amounts of blood etc etc but no specifics.
What is a deep wound considered?
What is an open wound ? Does my wound count as an open or closed wound ?
A healing wound which is still not fully epithelialized is the same as an open wound ?
Blood to blood stands for direct touching wound to wound ?
Thank you so much . Sorry for the elaborate details
The wound is in tje image below
Greetings to everyone and very sorry in advance if anybody thinks I'm stupid. I have been on web for a long time now .
I have read every bit of info which has been provided around but still I'm very paranoid about my possible exposure.
It so happened that 10-12 days ago I touched a barbecue stick with my thumb and index finger. I burnt myself superficially or at XXXXXXX partial dermal I guess. It was stingy(but did not bleed at all) and within a day or two it stopped paining. I had this white dead skin which looked like a tiny blister on it which fell off eventually about 3-4 days back and I had pinkish red skin underneath . No pain or burning anymore over it.
It so happened that I was in the gym on Tuesday and a guy hurt himself by dropping a plate on his toe, he started bleeding pretty profusely and I impulsively tried providing some assistance by wrapping a tissue around it and in the process so had some blood over my wound as well .
Since then I have been scared beyond my own understanding as to how much risk Did I put myself at.
Web has provided me variable information and I'm aware that theoretically since I had a wound with fresh blood in contact (albiet a healing wound )
Can I have an honest assessment about how likely is it for transmission to occur this way.
So basically I burnt myself 12 days back and had blood on the same wound 10 days after I burnt myself .
People talk about fresh wounds/deep wounds /copious amounts of blood etc etc but no specifics.
What is a deep wound considered?
What is an open wound ? Does my wound count as an open or closed wound ?
A healing wound which is still not fully epithelialized is the same as an open wound ?
Blood to blood stands for direct touching wound to wound ?
Thank you so much . Sorry for the elaborate details
The wound is in tje image below
Brief Answer:
You are safe
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us
I have read your query in detail and I have understood your concern. I have also reviewed the Image.
You are safe and need not worry about Hiv.
An open wound is one which is devoid of covering epithelium/ epidermis. An open wound has to be fresh and bleeding for the virus to gain access into blood stream. In other words, a bleeding wound would have its epidermal barrier breached, therefore would be prone to transmission of Hiv through it.
The image that you posted shows that your wound is completely closed i.e re-epithelialized. Normally a superficial burn such as that in your case is expected to completely re-epithelialize within 5-7 days therefore your wound would be already closed when you had this incident.
Hiv simply cannot enter through intact epidermis.
Regards
You are safe
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us
I have read your query in detail and I have understood your concern. I have also reviewed the Image.
You are safe and need not worry about Hiv.
An open wound is one which is devoid of covering epithelium/ epidermis. An open wound has to be fresh and bleeding for the virus to gain access into blood stream. In other words, a bleeding wound would have its epidermal barrier breached, therefore would be prone to transmission of Hiv through it.
The image that you posted shows that your wound is completely closed i.e re-epithelialized. Normally a superficial burn such as that in your case is expected to completely re-epithelialize within 5-7 days therefore your wound would be already closed when you had this incident.
Hiv simply cannot enter through intact epidermis.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for the prompt reply !
So basically for cutaneous transmission it has to occur through
A needle prick or other medical instruments right?
Or if in case of a wound then it has to be a fresh bleeding wound which are deeper!
Superficial wounds are not considered. Is my understanding correct?
Im a medical student too ! Now i realise why were the universal precautions made.
Thank you once again
So basically for cutaneous transmission it has to occur through
A needle prick or other medical instruments right?
Or if in case of a wound then it has to be a fresh bleeding wound which are deeper!
Superficial wounds are not considered. Is my understanding correct?
Im a medical student too ! Now i realise why were the universal precautions made.
Thank you once again
Brief Answer:
You can assume yourself to be safe
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Yes, a blood contaminateed needle is a potentially infectious source since it goes deeper, through the protective epidermal barrier.
You are absolutely correct in your understanding. Being a medical student makes easier for you to understand and thus makes my job easier.
The importance of universal precautions lies in preventing transmission of bloodborne pathogens via parenteral, mucous membrane, and non-intact skin exposures.
Regards
You can assume yourself to be safe
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Yes, a blood contaminateed needle is a potentially infectious source since it goes deeper, through the protective epidermal barrier.
You are absolutely correct in your understanding. Being a medical student makes easier for you to understand and thus makes my job easier.
The importance of universal precautions lies in preventing transmission of bloodborne pathogens via parenteral, mucous membrane, and non-intact skin exposures.
Regards
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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