HIV+ residents

casi, ASN, RN · Jul 7, 2008

With these kind of patients you use standard percautions. If there are body fluids you glove up, if there are a lot of body fluids you gown up.

Just because this patient has HIV doesn't mean you need to take extra precautions or refuse to do certian proceedures.

Getting HIV from saliva is darn near non-exsistant, unless the patient has an active bleed in the mouth you don't need to be too horrified. Just wear gloves when coming in contact with saliva, like you'd do with any patient.

Acosmo27 · Jul 7, 2008

My professor once told me that in order to contract AIDs from saliva you would have to drink about a bucket full of it, that is how rare it is...

shelly304 · Jul 7, 2008

[color=sandybrown]i work in a nursing facilitity in oklahoma, and there is a resident who is hiv positive. every time i go into the residents room my hands start to shake. but does the care that i give to the resident give me a greater chance to contract the hiv virus? or do i have the right to refuse certain care? and even though we wear gloves and gowns is that enough? should face masks be worn? i'm not sure what to think about all of this, so i surfed the web and it said that we could get it from un-chewed food! i mean the resident spits the food out after chewing it. please help!

are you working as a cna? just wondering.... :specs:

i suggest you go to the cdc or national health institute web sites. any questions you have will be answered there.

i took care of a very good friend, in my home, who had aids. this was in 1995. i used every precaution suggested by his doctor. i was not a nurse yet. i am so very grateful i had the opportunity to care for him. please remember to follow all guidelines set by the cdc and your facility. and you will be safe!

also, please always remember that the patients who have hiv are human beings and deserve to be treated as such. with the utmost dignity and respect from us-their healthcare providers.

casi, ASN, RN · Jul 7, 2008

I was going to hit the edit button to add this link, but alas the edit button disappeared.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic/index.htm is general informationm from the CDC. I'd suggest digging around the CDC site a bit, they are a great repituable site.

RXtech · Jul 7, 2008

I think you will feel better if you educate yourself about HIV, standard precautions, and use a reputable, accurate source of information to do so. Random sites you find with Google may or may not be accurate.

The CDC has a lot of fact sheets you can read.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/

Think of it this way: If HIV was spread through basic health care practices, there would be a whole lot of health care workers infected this way.

fournee, LPN · Jul 7, 2008

[color=sandybrown]i work in a nursing facilitity in oklahoma, and there is a resident who is hiv positive. every time i go into the residents room my hands start to shake. but does the care that i give to the resident give me a greater chance to contract the hiv virus? or do i have the right to refuse certain care? and even though we wear gloves and gowns is that enough? should face masks be worn? i'm not sure what to think about all of this, so i surfed the web and it said that we could get it from un-chewed food! i mean the resident spits the food out after chewing it. please help!

i was taken back to the 1980's with that question. i just passed boards a few weeks ago, and in school we were taught the ways of getting hiv, so i would hope in all schools they are taught the same.

i have been in the hiv field for 4 years now and there is no way i would touch a patient with gloved hands if it's general contact. i hug my patients and shake their hands. as for a gown and mask, it would be an insult to them and discriminating. unless the patient has pneumonia or tb.

4 ways of getting hiv

semen

lady partsl fluids

breast milk

blood

leslie :-D · Jul 7, 2008

ah, all these great minds who think alike.

i too, have a link from cdc.

HIV and Its Transmission

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/transmission.htm

leslie

tbanurse · Jul 7, 2008

The first thing that comes to mind when I read your post is "how about the ones you don't know about?" Sure, you may know that this one individual has HIV, but that should not mean you treat them any differently than someone who does not have the same diagnosis. Many of your residents in that facility may also have the same infection, or hepatitis or any number of diagnosis that you are unaware of. You should always treat a patient as if they have some form of infectious disease process that you do not want to contract, meaning, you practice standard precautions and protect yourself any time you may come in contact with body fluids. This does not mean you have to gown, glove and mask every time you have any contact with someone, but be very aware that it is a real possibility of contracting something as long as you work in healthcare. It is our duty to provide the best care to our patients while continuing to protect ourselves!

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2008

It is impossible to contract AIDS from casual contact and to get it from his bodily fluids - primarily semen - they'd have to enter either through mucous membranes (like your lady parts) or a tear in your skin. It is not transmitted through tears or sweat, saliva is iffy, and I'd be durned careful with urine and feces simlply because you don't want any of the germs from those. And blood - well, be extra careful. But unless you're doing a wound dressing without gloves, how likely is that contact?

You can hug him, clean him, touch his face, hold his hand, and treat him as you would any other person who needs your help, care, and compassion.

Do not be frightened away from giving this man the loving attention he needs and deserves. A hug, to an AIDS patient, is the most marvelous gift you could give him. And educating yourself is the way to begin.

I had many dear friends die from this horrible disease, back in the days when it was an almost immediate death sentence. Watching them shunned was heartbreaking.

I am sure you will rise above your fears by learning about HIV.

:)

Jules A, MSN · Jul 7, 2008

You have gotten good advice and resources. It makes me very sad that someone would have to ask this today but I am glad that you did and hope you educate yourself so your clients can benefit from the kindness and compassion you have to offer.

leslie :-D · Jul 7, 2008

Do not be frightened away from giving this man the loving attention he needs and deserves. A hug, to an AIDS patient, is the most marvelous gift you could give him. And educating yourself is the way to begin.
I had many dear friends die from this horrible disease, back in the days when it was an almost immediate death sentence. Watching them shunned was heartbreaking.

sue, this part of your post cannot be overemphasized.

op, i work inpatient hospice, and let me tell you, despite the many physical complications in a dying AIDS pt, i'll swear it is the loneliness they die from.

even in this day and age, overwhelming fear and ignorance remain.

this disease remains tremendously stigmatized, and many have lost their friends and families.

i don't know how many times i have been at the bedside of my AIDS pt (on my off-time) because i didn't want to see them die alone.

when sue says it's heartbreaking, that is an understatement.

so, for the sake of all future hiv/aids pts you may care for, please take the time to educate yourself.

a few of us have provided you w/up-to-date and comprehensive information/links.

and yes, please, hug your pt who needs it so.

leslie