HPV Universal Precautions

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I work in a convalescent hospital and provided care to a person who has HPV (genital kind) on various parts of the body. I accidentally brushed arms with this person for a second but I washed my hands and arms 3-5 minutes after providing care. Should I worry that I've infected myself with HPV on my arm?

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.

You can only be infected by genital HPV by coming in direct contact with it. You say you brushed arms with the pt and as long as the pt doesn't have the genital HPV on his/her arm, which I don't think they do, then you really don't have anything to worry about.

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Hate to give you the bad news, but millions of people are infected with HPV. Most have no idea. In addition, the really bad cancer causing types of HPV may not produce genital warts. With that, brushing the intact skin of somebodies arm should not be of concern. I am curious as to why you are so worried.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Using universal precautions is standard. However, as above poster stated, if no lesions on arms (and there won't be), then no problem.

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Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

Just an FYI the term universal precautions has been changed to standard precautions many years ago by the CDC

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Meh," tomato/tomahtoe."

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Specializes in Med Surg, LTC, Home Health.
Just an FYI the term universal precautions has been changed to standard precautions many years ago by the CDC

Thus, the people that still say "universal precautions" are "old school"...:)

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Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

God knows I have been in nursing when AIDS was called GRID (gay related immune deficiency) and long before their was anything called universal precautions. It is nice to know the correct terminology especially for when reading and writing policies.

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