Herpetic whitlow???

[Dion]

I was reading that because dentists are in contact with many patients they are more succeptible to herpetic whitlow, which affect the hand/fingers. However, dentists always wear gloves and wash their hands. Could skin or saliva contact with someone who is infected or touching a surface cause one to contract herpetic whitlow. If not, what exactly causes it?

 

[aphistis]

I was reading that because dentists are in contact with many patients they are more succeptible to herpetic whitlow, which affect the hand/fingers. However, dentists always wear gloves and wash their hands. Could skin or saliva contact with someone who is infected or touching a surface cause one to contract herpetic whitlow. If not, what exactly causes it?

eMedicine says you should be fine as long as you're good with your universal precautions. Any non-intact skin should be covered by a glove, a dressing, or both.

Incidentally, this caught my attention:

Similarly, in health care workers, infection with HSV-1 is more common and usually is secondary to unprotected exposure to infected oropharyngeal secretions of patients. This easily can be prevented by use of gloves and by scrupulous observation of universal fluid precautions.
In the general adult population, herpetic whitlow is most often due to autoinoculation from genital herpes; therefore, it is most frequently secondary to infection with HSV-2.

Any ideas on how the autoinoculation happens? 😕 😉

 

[Dion]

eMedicine says you should be fine as long as you're good with your universal precautions. Any non-intact skin should be covered by a glove, a dressing, or both.

Incidentally, this caught my attention:

Any ideas on how the autoinoculation happens? 😕 😉

I think that that means inflicting oneself. For instance if an individual has herpes on the genitals and then touch another body part, then that other body part gets contaminated. I read that one can get oral herpes from genital herpes. I am not 100% sure.

 

[aphistis]

I think that that means inflicting oneself. For instance if an individual has herpes on the genitals and then touch another body part, then that other body part gets contaminated. I read that one can get oral herpes from genital herpes. I am not 100% sure.

I was kidding, actually. 😉

 

[Dion]

I was kidding, actually. 😉

OK I understand!