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Have Sore Throat And Cough. Risk Of HIV Transmission From Open Wound With Blood Contact?

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Posted on Sat, 27 Apr 2013
Question: Last week, the carpenter guy came to my office to fixed the window glass, while fixing glass
glass fell on his forehead and he got small wound, blood starts coming from his fore head and blood spreaded on office floor, I sent him to hospital with my other office colleague blood drops was spread most of the office area means near the window and office door

so started I pouring water on this blood to clean, first I started to clean the door part, where blood was on floor near the door, I poured water on blood and cleaned with towel, Then washed my hand and towel in tab water and went to clean blood near the window part, near the window part some blood drops was on floor and blood drops were getting dry, I poured the water and started to clean his blood with same towel

There was some glass broken part also on floor and some blood drops on that glass, I started to lift this broken glass parts and that time I got the cut on finger and blood started to come out of that, I stopped the cleaning, and cleaned my finger to rubbed on my, jeans and washed in tab water

in that case how much chances to get HIV transmission and I am worried about while cleaning this mix water blood, is that any chances of blood gets stuck on my fingers and it entered in my bloodstream after I got cut on finger

now I have started the sore throat and cough problem

I have too much tense after this incident, please answer my question

and if i want to do any Test for HIV which is best after 10 to 20 days
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich (31 minutes later)
Hi XXXXXXX and welcome to XXXXXXX
FIrst this is a meaningless risk of transmission and you shouldnt worry. I know that possibility of infection terrifying, but you really shouldnt think of it. Such transmission is only theoretical but there is still no proved case of transmssion from open wound---- to free blood---to open wound. CLosed contact between 2 actively bleeding wounds may increase this risk but it is also minor.Even needlstick incidents have transmission risk less than 0.3%. Your risk is much much lower than this. Secondly, are you sure that this guy have HIV? You should ask him about it and other diseases.
Third, there are various tests. it depends are they available at your place. Some ufast test can be performed 5-7 days afer expossure but standard ones are the best to be done after 2 weeks.Also dont forget to do Hepatitis b and c testing,also after 2-3 weeks. You can cosullt your GP where all these tests can be done.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions I will be happy to help
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich (1 hour later)
Thank you for the answer, I have some question please guide me for that

I can’t ask him this guy he is HIV positive or not, because he never came after that incident
I worried because after one week of this incident suddenly I got heavy Cough and sore throat problem and this the early symptom of HIV
My another question is
At first time when I cleaned the mix water blood (of near the door) with bare hand, is that any chances of HIV transmission, And I poured the water on this blood, but after reading some forums I got information, HIV can survive in water for some time and I cleaned this water with bare hand I used towel to clean water,
that time I didn’t have any cut on my fingers, but some time I got skin detachment problem near the nail part on fingers, (means skin dried some of the part and this part looks little bit white, not blood come out form that, and after clean this blood I got some burning skin sensation on some of the finger part , so I am worried because of that also)
I am planning to do HIV DNA PCR at 21st April, because this incident happened at 24th March and after 21 days it is the reliable test as per pathology person and Doctor ( because in India, Doctors and Pathology persons only recommended XXXXXXX and DNA PCR), Is that time period is ok, for this test
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich (44 minutes later)
Yes, this is enough period for viral Dna detection, and results will be reliable.
It is not point is virus alive or not. Point is that there must be intensive and prolonged contact between infected blood and your open wound and there must be enough amount of virus.Also if virus got in contact to your blood, your immune system could have stopped its replication at the beginning. These open wounds arent scratches, abrasions or superficial skin lesions or ingrowth nails, or this lesion you are talking about. It is considered that bigger veins and arteries must be damaged for possibility of transmision. All this is the reason why this risk is extremely small. It is not 0% of course, but is close to it.
Usually symptoms dont start before 2-3 weeks after infection. Usually it begins with fever, chills, rash and swollen lymph nodes. Sore throat can be sign as well,but if this is with cough the only symptom I think it would more be some simple respiratory viral infection.

Hope I am helpful. I am free for your questions.
Note: Get personalized answers to your HIV related queries You can choose to talk face to face with your doctor. Book a Video Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich

General Surgeon

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 13886 Questions

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Have Sore Throat And Cough. Risk Of HIV Transmission From Open Wound With Blood Contact?

Hi XXXXXXX and welcome to XXXXXXX
FIrst this is a meaningless risk of transmission and you shouldnt worry. I know that possibility of infection terrifying, but you really shouldnt think of it. Such transmission is only theoretical but there is still no proved case of transmssion from open wound---- to free blood---to open wound. CLosed contact between 2 actively bleeding wounds may increase this risk but it is also minor.Even needlstick incidents have transmission risk less than 0.3%. Your risk is much much lower than this. Secondly, are you sure that this guy have HIV? You should ask him about it and other diseases.
Third, there are various tests. it depends are they available at your place. Some ufast test can be performed 5-7 days afer expossure but standard ones are the best to be done after 2 weeks.Also dont forget to do Hepatitis b and c testing,also after 2-3 weeks. You can cosullt your GP where all these tests can be done.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions I will be happy to help