INFECTIOUS DISEASE ANSWERS, ASAP. Please respond only if you are truly qualified to answer these specific questions. Thanks.
I'm a 64 yo male with several potentially serious medical issues including hiatal hernia with reflux-- but no history of any cardiac problems-- who was seen in my PCPs office yesterday for mid-sternal chest pain that lasted for more than 20 hours the previous day.
The PCP had the medical assistant perform an EKG on me, although the pads for the leads were initially sterile, the medical assistant then stuck all of those pads on my chest and legs "barehanded" and also removed them "barehanded." And, while she definitely touched the doorknob to enter the room and then touched other things before applying the electrode pads to my chest and legs, I never saw her wash her hands at any time.
I had been told that the EKG equipment is cleaned "regularly," but, NOT between each patient and don't know if it was done prior to my exam.
After my appt with the PCP, I returned home for a couple of hours before running some errands-- all the while continuing to wear the same t-shirt and sweatshirt that I had worn to the PCP appt. And, upon returning home, 5 hours later, I removed the sweatshirt but continued to wear the t-shirt for another 5 hours before removing it to take a shower-- approx 10 hours after the EKG at the PCP's office. I took a long shower-- making sure to thoroughly clean all skin surfaces-- especially my entire chest and legs where the EKG electrode pads had been attached by the "bare-handed" medical assistant...
Due to the 20 hours of chest pain the previous night, I hardly got any sleep before going to the PCP's office for the EKG yesterday. And, due to the fact that, especially during the "flu season," I am normally very cautious about "germs" in public places, after removing the clothes that I wore it the PCP's office, I placed them in a separate plastic bag to be washed apart from other clothes. And, normally following any medical office visit, I immediately cleanse any area that was touched by med personnel or equipment before leaving the office. And, again, at home prior to taking a shower...
But, for no good reason, I know that I didn't use any hand sanitizer while at the PCP's office yesterday or during the ten hours afterwards when I was still wearing the same t-shirt. And, although I THINK that I did clean my chest and leg areas with hand sanitizer before taking the shower last evening, I was apparently so "sleep deprived" that I don't remember...
And, it wasn't until I awoke this morning after a good night's sleep that I started thinking about "germs" and whether I cleaned those areas before the shower.
After getting a good night's sleep, I awoke this morning and started thinking about "germs" and whether I had properly cleaned my chest and leg areas with 65% alcohol before getting in the shower last night-- and, I couldn't recall whether I had.
MY QUESTIONS:
1) Since soap doesn't kill any germs (and only removes germs from the skin by adding water and friction), did showering just spray any potential dangerous germs all over the inside of my shower stall?
2) And/or worse, did I also "aerosolize" any potentially dangerous germs into the air inside the shower stall while I remained "locked" inside (ie, into my nasal/sinus passages and respiratory tract) and also back onto my skin surfaces, too?
3) And, also, since the shower stall open above 6', spray potentially dangerous germs all over the ceiling, walls and throughout my bathroom and master bedroom (since there's no door between my master bedroom and master bathroom)?
4) Since I was wearing the same t-shirt that I wore for the EKG (that was touching my bare chest for the next ten hours afterwards-- including the last five hours without the sweatshirt on top of it), could I also have "aerosolized" significant amounts of dangerous "germs" into the air while walking around my residence during that time?
I'm not a "paranoid" person. And, I have a fair amount of knowledge regarding dangerous infectious diseases-- esp MRSA. But, I'm seeking an EXPERT opinion to hopefully reassure me that
I'm definitely very upset that I didn't immediately clean off all of the areas of my chest and legs that were touched by the bare fingers of the med asst during the EKG with 65% alcohol hand sanitizer-- and also that I continued to wear the same t-shirt for ten hours afterwards-- despite the fact that the t-shirt had been in direct contact the areas that the med assist had touched with her bare hands for that entire time and, with the sweat shirt over it for five hours, definitely would have become "moist" (to increase the growth of potentially dangerous germs.) Again, I'm usually very cautious.
I definitely was very "sleep deprived" and apparently "lowered my guard." Thanks,
Jon