MR> How are you suppose to stop the bleeding with out pputting pressure on
 MR> it to stop it? I'm sure everyone carrys a pair of gloves around in the
 MR> car like you do.
TR> Your point is well-taken, most folks don't carry surgical
TR> gloves around with them. You can use a bare hand to compress
      
TR> work fine to protect you. If you have open wounds on your
TR> hands, I would certainly recommend some sort of protection.
TR> This is first assuming that the person has aids, and the
TR> chances are that they don't. I'm not saying that you should
TR> assume they don't have aids, but in reality, only a small
TR> percentage of the population has aids. Regardless, common
TR> sense protective measures of some sort should be used when
TR> you try to render aid, especially if the injured person is
TR> bleeding badly.
First off we still don't know how hard or easy it is
for AIDS to be transmitted.  Two people exposed with
the same basic facts and one will be infected and the
other will not.  And the debate is still raging about
the possibility of transmitting AIDS via saliva or
vomit.
Also there are a lot more blood born diseases out there
than HIV/AIDS.  All of which are MUCH easier to catch
and some just about as deadly.
Then there is the fact that there are several more
nasty diseases out there that are not blood born but
easy to spread and will kill you.
I know at least one EMT/ER nurse that carries her "kit"
with her at all times.  In this kit there is just about
everything but a MOPP suit.  This is because she is
required by law to render assistants and doesn't want
to be caught bare handed (sorry I couldn't resist).
                      Remember:  Freedom isn't Free!
--- timEd-B11
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