Aa
Is this a risk?
Hello!
I am hoping that someone can help ease my worries, which I’m sure are 99% fueled by anxiety.
The other day I went to get my routine allergy shot. I tend to swell up at the injection site, so they give me an ice pack to apply to the site during my waiting time (they make you wait 30 minutes after injection to leave, in case you were to have an allergic reaction).
After awhile, I moved and realized that my injection site was bleeding. There were several spots of blood on the ice pack too. I got a bandaid from the receptionist and then continued my waiting time.
As I sat there, I got increasingly more worried that either it wasn’t my blood on the ice pack (I didn’t really look it over when they handed it to me, I just applied it to the back of my arm like I was supposed to), or that someone else could have bled on the ice pack previously and not told them and it wouldn’t have been cleaned. I also know that they don’t typically hand ice packs out the allergy shot patients…I watched the next 3-4 people get their injections and no one else got an ice pack, so they may be only infrequently used?
I know that if it had been a “superficial” wound, I would be at very little to no risk, however I worry more since it was an injection into the back of my arm, and so that is a little deeper than “superficial,” in my untrained brain.
I also know that the chances of someone with hepatitis bleeding onto that ice pack are low, but I guess I just needed to voice my worries and see what someone else has to say. I did mention it to my primary care doctor and at first he didn’t think I had an open wound and was just using an ice pack and said that wasn’t a concern…then he realized I was bleeding and said that was different, but then settled on “I’ve never heard of anyone contracting anything in this way, just make sure to get a bandaid next time.” It didn’t really ease my worries too well, so I figured I'd try to get a couple more opinions. Thanks!
I am hoping that someone can help ease my worries, which I’m sure are 99% fueled by anxiety.
The other day I went to get my routine allergy shot. I tend to swell up at the injection site, so they give me an ice pack to apply to the site during my waiting time (they make you wait 30 minutes after injection to leave, in case you were to have an allergic reaction).
After awhile, I moved and realized that my injection site was bleeding. There were several spots of blood on the ice pack too. I got a bandaid from the receptionist and then continued my waiting time.
As I sat there, I got increasingly more worried that either it wasn’t my blood on the ice pack (I didn’t really look it over when they handed it to me, I just applied it to the back of my arm like I was supposed to), or that someone else could have bled on the ice pack previously and not told them and it wouldn’t have been cleaned. I also know that they don’t typically hand ice packs out the allergy shot patients…I watched the next 3-4 people get their injections and no one else got an ice pack, so they may be only infrequently used?
I know that if it had been a “superficial” wound, I would be at very little to no risk, however I worry more since it was an injection into the back of my arm, and so that is a little deeper than “superficial,” in my untrained brain.
I also know that the chances of someone with hepatitis bleeding onto that ice pack are low, but I guess I just needed to voice my worries and see what someone else has to say. I did mention it to my primary care doctor and at first he didn’t think I had an open wound and was just using an ice pack and said that wasn’t a concern…then he realized I was bleeding and said that was different, but then settled on “I’ve never heard of anyone contracting anything in this way, just make sure to get a bandaid next time.” It didn’t really ease my worries too well, so I figured I'd try to get a couple more opinions. Thanks!
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