Take caution with patients

By Grace Canada DO you realise that proper caution is necessary when caring for someone with HIV/AIDS? The virus may be more hardy and virulent than we know. It is possible that the virus may live for many days outside the body in a dried inactive state, and then become infectious again. Yet often care givers handle clothing, sheets; towels soiled with blood and other bodily secretions without protective gloves. If you are nursing someone with HIV/AIDS do not take unnecessary risks. Use the following tips for your protection: Avoid direct contact with the patient's blood or other body secretions that contain blood. l When handling faeces, vomit, urine, washing teeth and mouth of an infected person, use latex or vinyl gloves. l If secretions and blood spill onto a hard surface, pour some Jik over it as well as into the cleaning water. Bleach kills the virus. l When washing clothing which carry bodily secretions using gloves, first soak the soiled items in Jik, or boiling water. l If you use needles and syringes as a part of the person's care, use a puncture proof container to dispose of them. However, first burn them including the gloves before disposing. If possible avoid disposing needles in garbage, because children and others may come in contact with them. Perhaps the infected person is your loved one, and she or he may feel shunned if you use gloves. Do not allow feelings of guilt to lead you into unnecessary danger of getting HIV. Remember two wrongs do not add up to one right. The above rules should also apply to your maid and other people under your instructions. Ends