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What Are The Risks Of HIV Infection From Unsterilized Instruments?
Question: Doctor,
Yesterday i went to a hospital for ENT CHECKUP . The doctor was an ENT specialist.
First of all,i would like to mention that i have a wound inside my nose which was bleeding 50 minutes before i went to the doctor.The wound happened because my nose had become dry and i tries to dig my nose and my nose bled very heavily.
Ohk,then when i went to the doctor for check up, He used instruments clearly unsterilized on me.he used an instrument(cone shape) which he inserted in my ear and after that he used an instrument which he put in my nose to check my nose. he also used an instrument which he placed on my tongue.
before i went in there was another patient..There was at the most a 60 second gap between the instrument used on the other patient and the instrument used on me!
AM i at risk of Stds like Hepatitis C,Hiv and hepatitis B?
Yesterday i went to a hospital for ENT CHECKUP . The doctor was an ENT specialist.
First of all,i would like to mention that i have a wound inside my nose which was bleeding 50 minutes before i went to the doctor.The wound happened because my nose had become dry and i tries to dig my nose and my nose bled very heavily.
Ohk,then when i went to the doctor for check up, He used instruments clearly unsterilized on me.he used an instrument(cone shape) which he inserted in my ear and after that he used an instrument which he put in my nose to check my nose. he also used an instrument which he placed on my tongue.
before i went in there was another patient..There was at the most a 60 second gap between the instrument used on the other patient and the instrument used on me!
AM i at risk of Stds like Hepatitis C,Hiv and hepatitis B?
Brief Answer:
Please provide me information...
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thank you for asking me a query.
I read and understand your health query.
It is a bad practice at all to reuse the instrument used on previous patient.
Can you provide me few information so that I can help you further.
Which type of procedure it is? is it invasive procedure or just a simple examination?
Doctor used any solution to dip the instruments?
Single instrument was used or different instruments used each for ear, nose and throat?
Please provide me information to help you further.
Please provide me information...
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thank you for asking me a query.
I read and understand your health query.
It is a bad practice at all to reuse the instrument used on previous patient.
Can you provide me few information so that I can help you further.
Which type of procedure it is? is it invasive procedure or just a simple examination?
Doctor used any solution to dip the instruments?
Single instrument was used or different instruments used each for ear, nose and throat?
Please provide me information to help you further.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
he inserted the instrument inside my nostrils.Inside my ear cavity...not deep inside(it was a cone like structure) and inside my mouth to check the throat.
Doctor did not use any solution to dip the instruments.
Different instruments were used for examination of each part.
please answer fast..i m really anxious!
Doctor did not use any solution to dip the instruments.
Different instruments were used for examination of each part.
please answer fast..i m really anxious!
Brief Answer:
Nil possibility of above mentioned infection...
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for your answer.
There are nil chances of the mentioned viral infection the reason is as under.
1. Scab is being formed and bleeding is stopped 50 minutes a go in the nose so there is no possibility of infection in it because scab prevents exposure of virus to wound.
2. Ear is already skin covered area so there is no chance of infection via ear.
3. Throat is connected to mouth which is drenched in saliva. Saliva has some natural inhibitor substances which prevents the virus transmission.
4. There are very minor chance that the previous patient has any of the above mentioned infections.
5. The procedure is not the invasive one and it is the only examination. Invasive procedure has more risk, examination has very less risk.
I will be happy to answer your further questions. You can ask me here.
Thank you
Dr. Arun Tank
Infectious Disease Specialist.
Nil possibility of above mentioned infection...
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for your answer.
There are nil chances of the mentioned viral infection the reason is as under.
1. Scab is being formed and bleeding is stopped 50 minutes a go in the nose so there is no possibility of infection in it because scab prevents exposure of virus to wound.
2. Ear is already skin covered area so there is no chance of infection via ear.
3. Throat is connected to mouth which is drenched in saliva. Saliva has some natural inhibitor substances which prevents the virus transmission.
4. There are very minor chance that the previous patient has any of the above mentioned infections.
5. The procedure is not the invasive one and it is the only examination. Invasive procedure has more risk, examination has very less risk.
I will be happy to answer your further questions. You can ask me here.
Thank you
Dr. Arun Tank
Infectious Disease Specialist.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
i would like to explain that i did not imply that the instruments used on me and the previous patient were different. i meant that for my check up of EAR an instrument( a cone shaped structure which went down my ear canal) was used followed by a holder like thing which pressed against(roughly) the upper part of my nostrils followed by the use of an instrument used to lower my toungue to check the throat.
I CLEARLY MENTION THAT DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS WERE NOT USED FOR EAR NOSE AND THROAT CHECK UP OF THE PREVIOUS PATIENT.
THE INSTRUMENTS WERE INSERTED IN THE NOSTIL , IN THE EAR CANAL AND INSIDE THE MOUTH...so they clearly had the saliva and body fluids maybe even blood of the previous patient.
I hope that the person was healthy....but as soon as i walked into the doctors room..the doctor asked his assistant to call the lab and check the patients sample he had collected for hbv and hiv and couple of things i dont remember....hence my anxiousness.
It was not a mere touch in the nose.As i mentioned before the doctor used a clipper(holder) type instrument with which he pushed the upper part of nostril upwars to peek inside and have a look...and it was rough with it.
is the ear canal covered with skin...AND THE DOCTOR PUSHED THAT CONE TYPE STRUCTURE INSIDE MY EAR CANAL SLIGHTLY...WHICH RESULTED IN MY EAR WAX STICKING TO THE OBJECT.DOES EAR WAX SPREAD STDS??
And lastly, i hope the doctor changed his instruments which i m 99%sure he never did...i even asked my mom and she also said she doesnt remember him doing so...infact she mentions tthat she clearly remembers he picked up the same instruments which he had kept on the table.
SO ASSUMING THE WORST...THAT THE PATIENT BEFORE ME HAD STDS ESPECIALLY HEPATITIS C ,HIV AND HEPATITIS B....WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF TRANSMISSION...SHOULD I BE WORRIED?? SHOULD I GET TESTED AND DO YOU KNOW AnYONE WHO HAS CAUGHT HEPATITIS C ,HIV AND HEPATITIS B LIKE THIS...
Also what are the risk of Herpes ,Hpv and syphylis in this case??
NOTE: i read your previous answered questions to other users about stds..and you asked about vaccinations often...and i would like to mention that i was vaccinated for hep b when i was a child but not sure if its still valid.
i look forward to hearing from you and helping me....im kind of scared!!
MOST IMPORTANTLY...
there was a 50 to 70 second(at the most) betwwen the instruments being used on me and the previous patient..i thought that would help you answer the question.
I would like to add that they were the same instruments for me and the previous patient.
I CLEARLY MENTION THAT DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS WERE NOT USED FOR EAR NOSE AND THROAT CHECK UP OF THE PREVIOUS PATIENT.
THE INSTRUMENTS WERE INSERTED IN THE NOSTIL , IN THE EAR CANAL AND INSIDE THE MOUTH...so they clearly had the saliva and body fluids maybe even blood of the previous patient.
I hope that the person was healthy....but as soon as i walked into the doctors room..the doctor asked his assistant to call the lab and check the patients sample he had collected for hbv and hiv and couple of things i dont remember....hence my anxiousness.
It was not a mere touch in the nose.As i mentioned before the doctor used a clipper(holder) type instrument with which he pushed the upper part of nostril upwars to peek inside and have a look...and it was rough with it.
is the ear canal covered with skin...AND THE DOCTOR PUSHED THAT CONE TYPE STRUCTURE INSIDE MY EAR CANAL SLIGHTLY...WHICH RESULTED IN MY EAR WAX STICKING TO THE OBJECT.DOES EAR WAX SPREAD STDS??
And lastly, i hope the doctor changed his instruments which i m 99%sure he never did...i even asked my mom and she also said she doesnt remember him doing so...infact she mentions tthat she clearly remembers he picked up the same instruments which he had kept on the table.
SO ASSUMING THE WORST...THAT THE PATIENT BEFORE ME HAD STDS ESPECIALLY HEPATITIS C ,HIV AND HEPATITIS B....WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF TRANSMISSION...SHOULD I BE WORRIED?? SHOULD I GET TESTED AND DO YOU KNOW AnYONE WHO HAS CAUGHT HEPATITIS C ,HIV AND HEPATITIS B LIKE THIS...
Also what are the risk of Herpes ,Hpv and syphylis in this case??
NOTE: i read your previous answered questions to other users about stds..and you asked about vaccinations often...and i would like to mention that i was vaccinated for hep b when i was a child but not sure if its still valid.
i look forward to hearing from you and helping me....im kind of scared!!
MOST IMPORTANTLY...
there was a 50 to 70 second(at the most) betwwen the instruments being used on me and the previous patient..i thought that would help you answer the question.
I would like to add that they were the same instruments for me and the previous patient.
Brief Answer:
No chance of Infection, allay fear of various STDs...
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking query.
I am answering in the context of the same instruments used on previous patient and you. All the answers of your questions were included in my previous answer.
First thing I would like to allay all the fear of infections to you, I never seen the patients who infected like this exposure, so do not worry for this exposure at all.
Ear wax is the protective secretion and it never spreads infections, instead it prevents infection.
As I mentioned saliva has inhibitor substance and secretary antibodies which prevents infections.
There is only very very very low risk of infection from nose, but the scab in your nose prevents infection, so again there is no chance of infection here.
It is the routine procedure that doctor may ask for various investigation like HIV, HbsAg etc. prior to some surgery.
Herpes and syphilis can spreads via this route if the previous patient has the infection. But this infection can be easily identified by the doctor and he/she never uses such an instruments on other patients. So no point of worry for this infection.
I hope I answered all your queries, if there is something in your mind you can ask me here.
Thank you,
No chance of Infection, allay fear of various STDs...
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking query.
I am answering in the context of the same instruments used on previous patient and you. All the answers of your questions were included in my previous answer.
First thing I would like to allay all the fear of infections to you, I never seen the patients who infected like this exposure, so do not worry for this exposure at all.
Ear wax is the protective secretion and it never spreads infections, instead it prevents infection.
As I mentioned saliva has inhibitor substance and secretary antibodies which prevents infections.
There is only very very very low risk of infection from nose, but the scab in your nose prevents infection, so again there is no chance of infection here.
It is the routine procedure that doctor may ask for various investigation like HIV, HbsAg etc. prior to some surgery.
Herpes and syphilis can spreads via this route if the previous patient has the infection. But this infection can be easily identified by the doctor and he/she never uses such an instruments on other patients. So no point of worry for this infection.
I hope I answered all your queries, if there is something in your mind you can ask me here.
Thank you,
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
i called the doctor..he was very very very hesitant...he said all instruments are lasered before he arrives...but even though they are lasered,he did use the same equipmnt on the previous patient and me...even if the previous patient has any stds(hiv hep b or hep c)...do i need to be worried??
Brief Answer:
No possibility of infection in you..
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
I have not seen patients infected this way. I also thinks same for you. In my opinion you are not at all going to infect.
But if you are much stressed than you should visit the nearby doctor and get yourself tested.
You can ask me further queries here.
Thank you,
No possibility of infection in you..
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
I have not seen patients infected this way. I also thinks same for you. In my opinion you are not at all going to infect.
But if you are much stressed than you should visit the nearby doctor and get yourself tested.
You can ask me further queries here.
Thank you,
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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