Blood testing center

[TinaTTT]

Dear Dr, I had a blood test done on 31 Jan, when the nurse finished, she told me to put pressure on the wound with a cotton ball. So while i was doing that, she was holding a pen and writing my name and touching my blood tubes and putting stickers on it with her gloves on, she then touched other surfaces as well. Then she came back and told me to release the cotton ball and she took it and break it in half to make it smaller and put it back into my wound and put a sticker tape on it.

at the time i didnt think much about it but felt strange that she touched the cotton bal again and make it smaller, because normally when i get my blood test, the nurse just put sticky tape on it right away without touching the cotton ball again.

so not im worried that she might have picked up virus on her gloved hand and it has transferred to the cotton ball and then to my wound. im worried about HIV virus and Hep C virus.

I know the chances are small and its probably smaller than winning the lottery, but i just wanted to know if there is even a risk at all? Should i even be bothered to get tested for HIV and Hep C later on? if so when? like in a months time or 3 months time? I've decided to not have sex with my partner to make sure i have no risk at all. we are thinking of having a baby in a years time, so i just wanted to make sure im safe.

Thanks

[TinaTTT]

Thank you Dr. I think this not trusting health care people started when a dentist removed my wisdom tooth and damaged my nerve, so half my tongue had been numb for 5 years. I am going to see a psychatrist about medication soon. I will rent that movie, it will help me get distracted from anxiety as well.

Thanks you again.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the HIV forum.

You have had a number of similar questions on other MedHelp forums, all of which reveal that you are quite anxious about getting infected by doctors, nurses, etc during medical procedures.  Such infections virtually never happen.  For example, medical personnel wear gloves and take other similar precautions not to protect their patients from infection, but to protect themsevles form infection from their patients' blood and body secretions.  Anyway, the way the nurse handled the cotton after drawing your blood does not sound at all unusual or abnormal.

Accordingly, you are at absolutely no risk of HIV, hepatitis C, or any other infection from the events you describe.  That's the same for the events you have described in questions on the gynecology expert forum and the anxiety community forum.

Your use of the anxiety forum suggests you are aware that your concerns are not entirely rational.  Abnormal fears of contamination sometimes are an early sign of serious mental health disorders.  For an example of where it can lead, consider renting and viewing "The Aviator", the biopic of Howard Hughes.  (It's a wonderful movie in its own right.)  If these sorts of fears continue, please discuss it with your primary care doctor and/or a mental health professional.  I suggest it out of compassion, not criticism.

Good luck--  HHH, MD