Nursing preventing and taking care of local complications as a consequence of the use of peripheral venous catheter in HIV/Aids patients

Abstract

This study broaches the relevance of Nursing concerning treatment and prevention of complications related to the use of peripheral venous catheter in HIV positive patients. It aims at: 1) Listing the main problems related to the use of peripheral venous catheter in HIV/Aids patients; 2) Identifying nursing interventions related to those patients. It is a descriptive study of qualitative approach. The subjects were eight nurses who assist HIV positive patients under intravenous therapy. From data analysis it was observed that the problems emphasized by the nurses were: phlebitis, infiltration, allergy, chills, trembling and other factors inherent to the catheter itself. Regarding nursing interventions related to such problems, the three following categories emerged: special attention before, during and after peripheral catheterizations. One concluded that nursing assistance is not limited to curative care, but especially to preventive care that is connected to the patient’s quality, comfort and safety.