68 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
RISKS AND PRECAUTIONS
The risks of injecting any medicines are (1) infection caused by germs entering with
the needle and (2) allergic or poisonous reactions caused by the medicine.
1. To lower the chance of infection when
injecting, take great care that everything is
completely clean. It is very important to boil the
needle and syringe before injecting. After boiling,
do not touch the needle with your fingers or with
anything else.
Never use the same needle and syringe to
inject more than one person without boiling it
again first. Carefully follow all of the instructions
for injecting (see following pages).
Be sure to wash your hands well before
preparing or giving injections.
2. It is very important to know what reactions
a medicine can produce and to take the
recommended precautions before injecting.
If any of the following signs of allergic or
poisonous reaction appear, never give the same
or similar medicine again:
• hives (patchy swellings on skin)
or a rash with itching
• swelling anywhere
• difficulty breathing
• signs of shock (see p. 70)
• dizzy spells with nausea
(wanting to vomit)
• problems with vision
• ringing in the ears or deafness
• severe back pain
• difficulty urinating
An abscess like this one comes from
injecting with a needle that has not
been well boiled and is not sterile
(completely clean and germ free).
Hives, or a rash with itching, can appear a few hours or
up to several days after getting an injection. If the same
medicine is given to the person again, it may cause a
very severe reaction or even death (see p. 70).