Question 1

hand washing vs hand sanitizer? which is better when done performing blood draws! would hand sanitizer prevent me from getting infected?

Accepted Answer

Both work.: It's my understanding that hand washing and hand sanitizer are both good; certainly they are far better than not washing hands. If you are drawing blood, wear gloves. Don't re-cap needles, because you really can get stuck. If you should have a needle stick injury where you are in contact with a patient's blood, call your supervisor, the nursing supervisor, or the employee health department.

Question 2

i bought a container of wipes. when i got home i saw red dried liquid on it all down the side. concerned it is dried blood. i had small cuts on fingers from hand washing. coulld i get hiv or hepatitis? i know less likely hiv but what about hepatitis?

Accepted Answer

: HIV, Hepatitis B and/or C cannot be transmitted through above mentioned mechanism (dried blood/ inanimate surfaces). Hand hygiene rules still apply as to risk for transmission for other bacteria including hepatitis A, cdc.gov is a reliable site to further clarify.

Question 3

i've been with friend who has c diff.i've practiced good hand washing but freaking out i'll catch it. what are the chances? touched things she touched

Accepted Answer

Relax : These microbes are everywhere. Your fears of contagion are groundless. C. difficile is only a problem when the environment lets it overgrow the nice bacteria.

Question 4

i read here that if you touch blood you have to wash your hands for 10 min.- that seems unrealistic esp. when i work with kids. is that true?

Accepted Answer

Truly unrealistic: How long a typical person has to wash her hands after touching typical, potentially-infectious stuff depends on how well she does the washing. A thorough washing of all parts of the hands with soap and water should take no more than 1-2 minutes. Be thorough but gentle, so not to damage the skin. If there is a lot of stuff on the hands, she can wash for 1 minute beyond removing the visible stuff.

Question 5

there is so much information from multiple sources on coronavirus that it is difficult for me and my family to decode whats really fake and whats important ? 
on one hand hand washing and good basic hygiene would take care. whats a doctors view?

Accepted Answer

CDC.gov: I would suggest the CDC.gov website for direct medical information, rather than a variety of news sources.

Question 6

im an individual with ocd so i have compulsive hand washing and other things that can result in skin irritation. currently i have skin irritation and have these small red bumps, one of them seems close to another, and im concerned its a bat bite.?

Accepted Answer

Context: Is critical as far as possible exposure to bats. If that has not happened, visiting a cave, etc, a bat bite would be highly unlikely. Seeing a psychologist may help in reducing the intensity of your OCD.

Question 7

roommates are not the most hand-hygienic. how is hand  washing a preventative measure when they are touching the same food items? e.g. making toast, i have to touch the bread and the jelly jar regardless. does my immune system take care of the rest?

Accepted Answer

VOVID-19 prevention: Assuming your roommates are not self isolated, i.e. they are out some of the time, the most important thing is that they sociually distance themselves and wear masks when near other people. If you're not confident about this, you're right they should wash hands carefully. But contacting food etc is very low risk. Frequent washing or hand santizer are more important, and keep hands away from face.

Question 8

if you have tiny amount of  blood on intact skin but wash your hands that are chapped/cracked on another area can you get a bbp such as hcv, hbv, hiv?

Accepted Answer

Whose blood?: If it was your blood, there is no risk.
If it was blood from some one who has active infection with HCV, HIV the risk is minimal, the risk is slightly higher for HBV. 
You can and should vaccination for HBV.

Question 9

how might hand washing affect our family's health at home?

Accepted Answer

Decr infxn rate: Hand washing, regardless of whether at the hospital or at home, has been demonstrated to reduce the rate of disease transmission. This means lower infection rates, whether hospitalized or not. Check out following 3 links: 
http://www.Cdc.Gov/handwashing/
http://www.Cdc.Gov/features/handwashing/
http://www.Mayoclinic.Com/health/hand-washing/hq00407.

Question 10

what is the definition or description of: repeated hand washing?

Accepted Answer

If you have: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder you need to see a mental health professional.  You may be given medicine.  The mh doc will teach you strategies to deal with this.  A book called "the boy who couldn't stop washing" may help.  The very best to you.

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Doctor answers about:

What would happen if you touch some one else is blood and then wash your hands can you catch something

A member asked:

Hand washing vs hand sanitizer? which is better when done performing blood draws! would hand sanitizer prevent me from getting infected?

A member asked:

I bought a container of wipes. when i got home i saw red dried liquid on it all down the side. concerned it is dried blood. i had small cuts on fingers from hand washing. coulld i get hiv or hepatitis? i know less likely hiv but what about hepatitis?

A member asked:

I've been with friend who has c diff.i've practiced good hand washing but freaking out i'll catch it. what are the chances? touched things she touched

A member asked:

I read here that if you touch blood you have to wash your hands for 10 min.- that seems unrealistic esp. when i work with kids. is that true?

A member asked:

There is so much information from multiple sources on coronavirus that it is difficult for me and my family to decode whats really fake and whats important ? on one hand hand washing and good basic hygiene would take care. whats a doctors view?

A member asked:

Im an individual with ocd so i have compulsive hand washing and other things that can result in skin irritation. currently i have skin irritation and have these small red bumps, one of them seems close to another, and im concerned its a bat bite.?

A member asked:

Roommates are not the most hand-hygienic. how is hand washing a preventative measure when they are touching the same food items? e.g. making toast, i have to touch the bread and the jelly jar regardless. does my immune system take care of the rest?

A member asked:

If you have tiny amount of blood on intact skin but wash your hands that are chapped/cracked on another area can you get a bbp such as hcv, hbv, hiv?

A member asked:

How might hand washing affect our family's health at home?

A member asked:

What is the definition or description of: repeated hand washing?

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