Accidentally touched blood

[nhelen79]

I was at the ER with my dad (his wrist was swollen from a fall a few days back). He’s okay now. Beofre they discharged him, they had a bandage on his arm where they got blood for blood tests. I accidentally touched his bandage and the blood sipped through and was on the back of my thumb. I had a scab/cut on the front of the thumb last night. It wasn’t bleeding or anything and I didn’t have bandage on. I don’t think his blood came in contact with the front of the thumb. I washed my hand right after that.

However being anxious I’m now worried if during washing my hand, the blood mixed with water can have come contact with the front of the thumb in which I have the scab cut there. I’m scared of Hep C infection although he doesn’t know if he has Hep and never test.

I asked him to ask for Hep tests when he goes back for follow up with his doctor. I also asked my doctor to have Hepatitis testing for me within 6 weeks. Not feeling too well thinking about this though.

Sorry for the rambling. How big of a chance I get infection via this?

[tan235]

Does your Dad have Hep C? What's the concern with Hep C? You wouldn't get Hep C this way - unless I guess if you had a cut on your thumb and there were enough molecule of hep c in the small amount of blood you touched - but it's your DAD, why would you be concerned?
x

[MyNameIsTerry]

Like you say, you don't even know he has it therefore this is anxiety, irrational thinking that needs challenging. And you don't believe the blood even touched a sealed cut that you have. For you it is Hep C, for someone else they would be worrying about HIV.

What does your dad think about having a blood test for this just in case?

[nhelen79]

I don’t know if he has Hepatitis because he never gets tested. Since the doctor at the ER told him to ask the Primary checks his liver because his blood sugar level is too high. So I asked him to ask for Hepatitis testing too (I didn’t say anything about my worry of blood infection thought).

Why I am worried about Hepatitis? Because it and HIV are the 2 things that can be infected via blood. I understand this is anxiety talking and the chance maybe not high, but can’t help thinking about it.

My doctor hasn’t replied to my question.

[tan235]

You know, I had friends with Hep C and I lived with them, I was never overly worried, plus one was cured from Hep C which was pretty awesome, HIV however, well that's different, but even then you can't catch it like this, it's hard to get which is why most people get it through needles or unprotected sex. I wouldn't worry, I know that's hard, I worry about other things ... so I get it's hard to NOT worry but seriously, you can't really get it this way, plus again, it's your Dad, you live with him, he's in your life 24/7 ..... he would know by now if he had something like HEP C, you get sick with it.

---------- Post added at 01:13 ---------- Previous post was at 01:12 ----------

oH I should state, I kissed someone with Hep C once, I didn't know till someone told me - I freaked out , but the DR said it's highly unlikely and I was tested and it was fine.

[nhelen79]

Thanks for the kind words. I will try to not think about it too much.
I

[MyNameIsTerry]

Since you know this is anxiety talking if you waiting for a period of time and saw your anxiety fade or perhaps jump to another issue, that perhaps would show you that it was just that you had been triggered by this situation and that it's not as important to you as you thought at the time?