Dr. Bob, I went to a family practice clinic here to get my blood work done. One dumbest mistake what i did was that i forgot that i had a wound on the bottom of my hand, which came out from a burn from oven, while baking some food.

So when the nurse asked me to put my hand on the hand rest, to take my blood, i forgot about the burn/wound. It is not bleeding on anything, but you can see flesh, it was getting exposed to the hand rest. The burn/wound size is pretty big, i would say equal to the length of our thumb finger. If there was a HIV positive person, who was there before, and if his blood was on the hand rest, do you think i will be infected this way? I am so scared, please answer. I am a married guy with a kid. Should i take precautions. I will donate. Thanks!

Hi,

Relax Max! Your HIV-acquisition risk is essentially nonexistent. HIV doesn't survive very long outside the body. Besides, I doubt you plopped your burned hand onto a puddle of fresh HIV-tainted blood. I see no reason for concern, special precautions or even HIV testing. You're fine. Stop worrying, OK?

Dr. Bob