Hello,

Thank you for reading my question. I am a surgical tech student. I was cleaning out a suction that had just came out of the OR. I would say is was sitting for about 5 minutes before I got it. I was running water through the suction, the suction contained blood, as the water was running through the suction I saw blood in the bottom of the sink as I went to turn the water off I increased the water pressure instead of decreasing it causing a splash of water to splash up my nose. I do not know what went up my nose water, water and blood, just blood, I don't know. The staus of the patient being hiv positive or negative is not known. Do I have a cause for concern? This happened about four weeks ago, today I have pain under my armpits, (like down toward my ribcage) does that sound like swollen glands)? Could the time factor plus the water running through the suction kill HIV if it were present? The hospital's ER staff was no help to me at all. Does an HIV test at three months sound like something that I should have done?

Thank you,
Worried

i can see where you would be concerned. If so get tested now just to ease your mind.

why didn't the hospital staff start you on antiviral meds immediately within the 24 our window?

a lot of people don't know this but when doctors whom are negative are possibly exposed to HIV, by sticking themselves with a syringe or accidentally cutting themselves with a scalpel in the middle of surgery, there is a 24 hour window where if you use antivirals it can destroy the virus from attaching itself.

Thanks, but it has been four weeks, I was told however that I am at low risk 1 in 1000 could get HIV if the patient was HIV positive.

if it got in your eye then there is a risk but up the nose no

I would think the virus would die in the time period from washing the suction to going into your nose...Im sure you're fine