Dr Dr. Bob, I am scared and desperate for your advice. I need you to assess my situation and I will try to be brief. I was being prepared to go into a procedure in the hospital and had to be given an IV. I noticed the nurse had a small cut by her thumbnail that was red but not bleeding - still not scabbed over though. She then set up to give me an IV and then put on latex gloves and started the IV. When she removed the gloves after the IV I looked at the cut again it still did not appear to be bleeding but it looked like there was a little dried blood on it like it had bled recently. I asked her about the cut and she just answered 'that's why we wear gloves' I decided to just 'fuggidabouit' as you would say but now I am second guessing it: a.) I should have refused the IV and asked for another nurse without a cut or: b.) I should have insisted on talking to infection control and have the nurse tested and/or start PEP after I got the IV and started my initial worrying I know that she wore gloves but some of her blood could have gotten on the supplies or needle before she put the gloves on hence possibly shoving fresh blood residue into my arm. Dr Bob please help I am not able to function at all at this point, should I go to infection control? Be tested? Or fuggidabouit?????????? -Scared Crow

Hello Scared Crow,

Fuggedaboutit!!! Definitely fuggedaboutit! Your HIV-acquisition risk is completely nonexistent. Your PEP ponderings are positively preposterous.

Dr. Bob