Came In Contact With IV Insulin Drip Of A HIV Positive Person. Chances Of Getting Infected?

Posted on Wed, 27 Mar 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 Answered on

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi, I have a question for you of course. I was In the hospital to visit one of my friends 4-5 months ago. while i was there i came into contact with some of their IV Insulin drip. I just learned that they are positive for HIV. The skin on my hand was intact and there was no contact with blood just the medication. What should i do and what are the chances that i am infected?

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (19 minutes later)

Hi XXXXXX
Welcome to XXXXXXX
Thanks for posting your query.

The chances of getting HIV by your hospital visit and came in contact with IV Drip set is negligible. You would not have got HIV through this route.
Just imagine health care providers ( Doctors in emergency room, ENT Specialist, Dental surgeon, Obstetrician, STD specialist, Nurses, laboratory technicians, Assistants, scavengers, family members at home) world wide are daily caring their patients, not always with gloved hands, as it leads to stigmatization and discrimination. HIV children and orphans are handled with bare hands. No body gets the disease unless there is needle prick with infected blood.
I am handling daily not less than 20 HIV patients for more than 20 years. I haven't got the disease so far.
So relax and your chances of getting HIV is almost nil.
Good luck to you.
DR S.Murugan

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