i got hit by a small knife

[kmk1975]

Dear Doctors

I was in the one of the disco tick 4 weeks ago, another customer was their and he asked me for a cigarette his face and hands were full of bumps and he looks like a real bad boy. I refused to give him what he wants then he got really angry and got a small knife from his pocket then he was training to hit me with the knife and I avoided him but small scratch hit middle of my hand (Palm). He caused scratch of 1 cm to my hand without causing any bleeding, I went to ER straight away and they told there is no need for stitching only a small band aid as the scratch is minor maybe the size of those three dashes ---  and length and one dash  width - and depth of one dash -

I spook to the doctor he told me not to be worry as HIV virus don’t survive in the open air.

3 days ago I develop some symptoms like small lymph enlargement in different areas of my body, sore through, headache and joint pain but no fever, I did HIIV test using home kit today which is 4 weeks after getting hit by the knife and it was Negative,


1-If the symptoms which I got were really ARS do you think I should be tested positive not negative correct?
2-Does the virus live in open air specially in my case ( maybe he hit another customer with same knife before me)
3-Discriping the scratch which I got do you think it is really minor so I shouldn’t worry about

[kmk1975]

Dear Doctor

I did HIV test today which came negative which is almost 5 weeks after the knife and full 1 week after the begining of the symptoms,

1-do think this is a good indication that I didn't catch HIV  

2- because i've already completed full 7-8 days after the begining of the symptoms, do you think this is a garantee those were not ARS.

Thanks Doctor for your time.

PS i'm planning to retest again after another 5 weeks for a conclusive result

[Edward W Hook, MD]

If your symptoms wer due to the ARS, your blood test might not be postive at that time but would be postive within a week after symptoms began.

The conditons which affect HIV survival vary according to temperature, humidity, etc.  I can assure you however that live HIV would not survive on a knife in someone's pocket long enough to infect someone in the situation you described.  

Please, let's not get into "what if" type questions. They are not a good use of your time of mine.  EWH

[kmk1975]

Thanks doctor, however If the symptoms which I got were due to HIV ARS as i got tested negative correct so this confrim those are not ARS correct or should wait for another week to get a clear picture?

How long does the virus live outside the body and do think that minor scratch which the knife caused to my hand will make the virus able to entre my blood stream.

Thanks in advance

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  A agree with the doctor you spoke with.  Your risk of HIV from the cut/scratch on your hand is not something to worry about.  As you were told, HIV does not live long at all outside of the body and the probability that the knife was contaminated at all is very, very low.  

Regarding your symptoms, the ARS is a non-specific illness which has exactly the same symptoms that many other illnesses do.  The ARS is rare and almost everyone gets at least one or two community acquired, non-HIV viral illnesses every year.  It is far, far more likely that your symptoms are due to something else than that they are due to HIV.  I would also add that it would be unusual for the ARS to occur 4 weeks after an exposure- usually it occurs 2-3 weeks afterwards.  This too makes it unlikely that your symptoms are the ARS.

Finally, regarding your blood test.  AT 4 weeks following exposure, over 90% of persons who have become infected would have positive blood tests at 4 weeks.  That your test is negative is additional evidence that you did not get HIV form the exposure you describe.

I hope these comments are helpful to you.  EWH