Can you get hep c from touching surroundings with possibly contaminated environ

[mrjadams75]

I work as a healthcare assistant. I touched a crash cart today accidentally that had been used to assist a patient with hepatitis c with an emergency situation. It was my own fault. I was told to move the trolley in pushed it a little with the tips of my fingers before I realised what she had said about the hep c. There was no blood on the area where I touched but elsewhere there was small smears. I only touched it with the tip of my fingers but I have a tiny semi healed cut underneath my cuticle. I'm unsure as to how likely it is that I may get infected from this. I'm usually so careful as well. I suffer from a great deal of health anxiety as well which isn't helping.

Thanks for any advice

[Mike]

Hi Newartriot84,

It would be virtually impossible to catch Hep-C under the scenario you described.

Since this happened at work, you could report the potential exposure and be tested in 3-6 months. This should be covered under your state's workers compensation system.

Best wishes. Mike

[mrjadams75]

Hi Mike,

I just wanted to thank you so much for your reply, it was really reassuring to hear. I panic way too much about my health thesedays that I make myself ill I think. I work bank with the healthcare system so I have no fixed post but my doctor has offered to test me should I be worried but she doesn't think it is necessary.

Thanks again and take care

Nick

[lporterrn]

Hi Nick,
As a nurse, one thing that helped me with anxiety is knowing that universal precautions work. It is amazing that our risks are generally not much higher than the public's risk. I am particularity sad about the recent Ebola case being a healthcare worker, because this tells us there is something we don't quite know about keeping workers safe from that virus, but still, keep in mind that even a mistake in safety precautions rarely transmits anything. Also, in the scheme of things, hep C is curable, so even if you got it, at least it can be dealt with.