Douglas T. Dieterich, M. D.Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Cabrini Medical Center
Assoc. Prof. of Medicine NYU School of Medicine
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.My brother was working on a friends car and he got a small cut. Then the next day, his freind who has AIDS was helping him fix the car when his friend also cut him self and a drop of blood landed on my brother's cut from the day before. My brother didn't remember that his friend has AIDS until 3-4 hours later and washed his hands. Quickly he called his doctor and his doctor sent him to the emergency room and they prescribed him Lopinavir-Ritonavir, Viread, and Epivir.
What are the chance of my brother getting the HIV virus or AIDS and will the meds help him?
Douglas T. Dieterich, M. D.
Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Cabrini Medical Center
Assoc. Prof. of Medicine NYU School of Medicine
It is really remote. A cut usually forms a scab in a matter of hours and becomes relatively difficult to penetrate. A drop of blood could penetrate potentially and that is why they gave him HIV meds but the chances are very low. Now that he is taking HIV medication, the chances are virtually zero. That is good news and good thinking on your cousin's part. Good point for the readers, it is not just sex that can transmit HIV!
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