worried due to negligent doctor

J

Jek

New member
I went to see a GP yesterday for a full medical.
During the medical I had a blood test.
When the physician was withdrawing the needle he took a cotton wool swab which he was going to place on the needle mark, as he was about to apply the cotton wool, he dropped it on the floor. I could see this out of the corner of my eye, and thought he would obviously get another swab, amazingly he picked the cotton wool up from the floor and placed it on the needle mark on my arm! I was slightly shocked and stupidly held the swab on the mark for a moment. I didn't say anything as I couldn't really believe what had happened!
I'm now concerned that I may have picked up an infection such as hiv or hepatitis, can't believe I didn't say anything but I may report this to the powers that be. Should I go to another doc for new blood tests?
 
The chance of you picking anything up from that would be very VERY slim unless it absorbed fluid from the floor.. however if they are slack about that, what else are they slack about? I'd be simply not going there anymore!! I would also advise to call the management and let them know about it as well.
 
I agree... Definitely make a complaint to the office manager. But your risk of infection is low. Your risk of picking up HIV or hepatitis or anything like that is infinitesimally low. These diseases generally require fluid to fluid contact to be transmitted. Plus, they don't survive for very long outside the human body. The biggest risk (which is still very, very low) would be a bacterial infection at the site of the blood draw.
 
I wouldn't worry so much as chances of catching something are low, though if i were you i would wait a while and get another blood test and definately get it done elsewhere.
I recently had a blood test myself, and i saw the technician taking another persons blood first that was bleeding, he did wash his hands and then it was my turn, i said "you're not touching me unless you put on gloves" he got the gloves put them on and that was that. I didn't care at that moment what he thought about me i cared more about my health. I still don't care i don't know this person and i should never have had to tell him to wear gloves he should have done it on his own. For the next time it's your health, so speak up.
 
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