standard precautions should be used:?
A. only when the patient exhibits signs and symptoms of illness
B. in all interactions when direct contact with body fluids is possible
C. only when a diagnosis of communicable disease is made
D. only when contact with mucous membranes, non-intactskin and infectious materials is possible
which of the following is part of nurse aide’s job during discharge of the resident?
A. explain the resident’s prescriptions
B. gather all belongings and valuables and document the items received
C. arrange for home care if needed
D. comlete the discharge nursing summary
which of the following might be sign of an obstructed airway?
A. Elevated temperature
B. pinpoint pupils
C. inability to speak
D. coughing
which of the following may irritate the skin around stoma?
A. stool
B. alcohol based cleaner
C. soap
D. all of the above
which foods are more difficult to swallow for a resident with dysphagia?
A. Milk shake
B. Water
C. Apricot nectar
D. Creamed corn
1. B
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. D
INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICABLE DISEASE NURSING
Test(scientists have genetically altered a common virus so that it can destroy the most lethal type of brain?
tumar without hariming the healthy tissue nearby. this technology is used for all of the following EXCEPT
1-treating the disease
2-diagnosing the disease
3- curing the disease
4- controlling the disease
2 diagnosing the disease
Dr Lason, common biochemical causes of anxiety & depression
Insect Pests
All sorts of insects attack and prey upon human beings. Most common of those that attack the body directly are the lice and the itch mites. Less frequent are bedbugs and spiders. In the woods and in tropical areas chiggers and mosquitoes, ticks and the biting flies annoy mankind.
Chiggers
Chiggers are known scientifically as Trombicula irritans. They hook themselves on to the skin. The skin becomes irritated, and an intolerable itching begins. Red blotches appear, and blisters form. The chiggers do not burrow into the skin, but they inject a substance which dissolves and softens the tissue, and this causes the itching.
Infestation with chiggers can be prevented by putting flour of sulphur or sulphur powder into the stockings or underclothing when going into tall grass or weeds. Protection can be had by wearing leggings and by closing off the bottom of the trousers.
If you have been seriously bitten by chiggers, wash the skin thoroughly with soap and water and allow the lather to remain on the skin ten minutes before removing. Then any of the anti-itch preparations can be applied to keep the itching under control until healing has occurred.
Insect repellents such as DDT, freon with pyrethrum, and similar preparations can be used to remove chiggers from infested areas, as well as mosquitoes, moths, and other insects.
Lice
The louse is an annoying inhabitant on the human body. Head lice are such a frequent annoyance among children in schools that health departments usually give special instructions for their control. Several specialized mixtures have been developed for getting rid of head lice, body lice, and pubic lice.
To kill head lice, ordinary crude petroleum or kerosene mixed with sweet oil or olive oil, half and half, is rubbed well into the scalp. Then cover the hair with a piece of muslin for at least two hours or, better, overnight. Petroleum is poisonous and inflammable. Never let the hair get close to any open flame, such as a gas jet or a lighted match. When the muslin is removed wash the hair and scalp with soap and hot water and rinse well with clear water. Repeat this process as long as live vermin are found in the hair. Nits may be removed by wetting the hair thoroughly with hot vinegar, then combing with a fine-toothed comb. Dry the hair completely after such treatments before going out. For body lice, the body, all clothing, and all bedding may be thoroughly dusted with a suitable DDT powder.
Pubic lice are commonly called “crabs.” Specialized ointments including the old-fashioned “blue ointment” and “Gammexane” ointment, are used, rubbed thoroughly into the infested areas. If such lice get into the eyelashes, they should be picked off, with their nits, by a forceps. Itching from the bites of lice or other insects is controllable by ointments or lotions containing small amounts of phenol or menthol or camphor, such as 1 per cent phenol or menthol in calamine lotion or phenolated camphor in mineral oil.
Spider Bites
The only venomous spider in the Western Hemisphere is the black widow. When a person is bitten by a spider the first step is to stop the absorption of the poison into the circulation. The wound can be disinfected with tincture of iodine or any other good antiseptic. If any considerable amount of poison has been taken into the body, the area of the bite can be put under suction.
Following the bite of the black widow spider, one feels a sharp pain. Then comes swelling and redness at the bitten spot, and the whole body reacts with dizziness and weakness, tremor of the legs, and even abdominal cramps. Small children may have difficulty in breathing and even stupor or convulsions. A serum or antitoxin has been developed, but has to be secured in most cases from the health department or directly from the manufacturer.
Bedbugs And Fleas
A bedbug bite usually appears as a raised blister with a red spot in the center. It itches and sometimes has a burning sensation. Bedbugs do not live on the human body but they do infest beds, bedding, upholstered furniture, walls, woodwork, and draperies. They usually come out at night, drawn by the odor of the human body. When crushed, the bedbug gives off a foul odor.
Because the bedbug bite itches, the bitten area may be masked by the results of scratching and secondary infection. People who wear pajamas, if bitten, are usually affected in the areas around the ankles, the wrists, and the neck. The only treatment usually required for a bedbug bite is application of a lotion of calamine, with menthol or phenol or camphor to relieve the itching. Any of the lotions usually used for itching may be applied to flea bites.
Fleas that infest rodents can carry diseases such as plague. Fleas are found everywhere. They may pass to human beings from dogs, rats, or pigs. When human beings are bitten by fleas the source of infestation should be found and eliminated. Flea powders are easily available at any drug store.
Scabies
Scabies, also called seven-year itch, Cuban itch, prison itch, and similar names, is caused by the itch mite. It spreads amidst poverty, overcrowding, and uncleanliness. Usually scabies is transmitted by body contact.
The itch mite does not have the same habits as the body louse. The body louse lives in the clothing and feeds on the body, but the itch mite lives in the body under the skin. Any infestation of clothing or bedding by the itch mite is accidental. The itch mite tunnels under the skin. If the skin is cleaned and is free from crusting and secondary infection the little spots of invasion can be seen. The female mite burrows into the skin through the hair follicles and travels along a tunnel, which she creates. At the inner end of the tunnel she lays her eggs. After three to five days the eggs hatch, and the larvae burrow along new tunnels or come out of the old one.
Most common areas of infestation are between the fingers, on the backs of the hands, elbows, under the arms, in the groin, under the breasts, around the navel, sex organs, the shoulder blades, and the back.
After the body has been thoroughly scrubbed with hot water, the emulsion is applied with a brush or with an insecticide gun and the whole body is covered from the neck down. The emulsion is allowed to dry, and then after ten or fifteen minutes a second application is painted on. The patient then puts on his clothing and refrains from bathing for twenty-four hours. Then he is given another painting with the benzyl benzoate emulsion. After a second twenty-four-hour period he is instructed to bathe and put on all clean clothing. If these instructions are carried out carefully 95 per cent of patients are cured. The failures are given another course of treatment. The ointment called Gammexane, which is exachlorocyclohexane is also used effectively against scabies. The new treatments tend to replace the older use of sulphur ointment, pyrethrum ointment, and rotenone ointment.
Mosquito Bites
The mosquito is proof of Kipling’s famous statement that “the female of the species is more deadly than the male.” The male mosquito does not bite. The female mosquito is out for blood. The mosquito does not really bite, but saws through the skin.
Investigators have found that mosquitoes prefer to bite some people rather than others. They have found, moreover, that some people react severely to mosquito bites, whereas others do not react at all. The attractiveness of an individual for mosquitoes varies from time to time. Mosquitoes that bite prefer places with lots of people, rather than those with just a few people or places that are empty. Mosquitoes are more attracted by numerous or unwashed sleepers than by a few people who are sleeping and who are well washed. Thorough cleansing with soap and water decreases the attractiveness of any individual for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are attracted by warm objects, by lights at night and by dark objects during the day. Dark clothing is more attractive than light clothing for mosquitoes, and rough clothing is more attractive than smooth clothing. Mosquitoes prefer damp weather to dry weather, but in the cold seasons they prefer dry weather to damp weather. Mosquitoes prefer adults to children and men to women.
Mosquitoes carry malaria, yellow fever,West Nile virus and a number of other diseases. The mosquito can be eliminated by getting rid of pools of stagnant water in the surroundings, by spraying surfaces of water with oil, by the widespread use of DDT, and by other well-established health-engineering technics. The itching of the mosquito bite can be controlled by the use of one per cent menthol or phenol in calamine lotion or by the application of the ointments of antihistamines such as neohetramine, neoantergan, thephorin, pyrabenzarnine, benadryl, diatrin, and others.
About the Author
David Crawford is the CEO and owner of a Natural Male Enhancement company known as Male Enhancement Group which is dedicated to researching and comparing male enhancement products in order to determine which male enhancement product is safer and more effective than other products on the market. Copyright 2009 David Crawford of http://www.maleenhancementgroup.com. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Chagas Disease Research Project: Creating the Clinic (Part 4 of 6)
All around the world, children are inspiring adults to take action with the things that matter most. One such child, Alex, took the matter of cancer into her own hands, and her legacy has created a grassroots movement across the country. Today, Alex’s Lemonade Stand is one of the most successful fundraisers for cancer research in America.
The idea for Alex’s Lemonade Stand began in 2000, when four-year-old Alexandra Scott, a cancer patient announced to her friends and family that she wanted to run a lemonade stand. This activity, something children do across the United States, was not just a way to pass the time and earn money for candy or toys, though. Instead, Alex’s profits were all going to go toward helping “her doctors” find a cure for cancer. With the help of her brother Patrick, Alex set up a lemonade stand in her neighborhood, calling it “Alex’s Lemonade Stand for Childhood Cancer.” The first stand was run in July 2000.
The project took off, warming the hearts of everyone in the community. Alex continued to operate her stand, and as word spread, more children and adults set up lemonade stands and sent their profits to Alex for her contribution to cancer research. The project became extremely popular, and although Alex’s health began to deteriorate, she continued to inspire people to run lemonade stands and hold other fundraising events to benefit pediatric cancer patients. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was created, giving people an easy way to donate to this registered 501c3 charity.
Sadly, in the summer of 2004, Alex passed away, losing her fight with cancer. She was eight years old. However, in those eight years, she did more to better the world than most people do in an entire lifetime. Alex raised over $1 million to give toward childhood cancer research. To honor her memory and continue supporting other children fighting cancer, her family continued to run this organization, and as of July 2007, the foundation has contributed over $20 million to childhood cancer research. Alex has proven that no matter how young or old, you can do something to help change the world.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s motto is “no donation is too small,” and today, they are still battling cancer one cup of lemonade at a time. They provide grants cancer researchers and help doctors around the world learn more about this disease. Because of the money Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation has raised, researchers are getting closer to a cure every day.
Alex and her foundation have been recognized by a number of organizations over the past eight years. She has personally won many awards during her lifetime and posthumously, which include the Philadelphia Foundation’s Philanthropist of the Year for 2003, the Kellogg’s Child Development Award for 2004, and the Sunshine Foundation’s Impossible Dream Award for 2004. In addition, her foundation has been honored with the PPRA Gold Medal Award for 2005 and the Gilda’s Club Ann Silverman Award for 2006, to name just a few of their many achievements. After Alex’s death in 2004, two awards were also named in her honor. Every year, Volvo Cars gives away the Alex Scott Butterfly Award, which honors a child who is making an extraordinary difference in the world and the Philadelphia 76ers have renamed their community service award to be called the Hometown Hero in the Spirit of Alex Scott Award. Alex has been featured in countless magazines, newspapers, and TV shows, including The Oprah Show, The Washington Post, and Sports Illustrated.
Anyone can easily become involved with Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Helping to honor this girl’s amazing spirit can be quite rewarding. Adults and children alike can run lemonade stands, or you can make a straight donation or hold a different fundraising event. In addition, the foundation’s website allows you to purchase items from the gift shop (items include books, jewelry, coffee, and more), as well as find Alex’s Lemonade Stand events in your area, so you can attend and support the cause. They also hold an annual Lemon Ball to honor those who support their foundation and to raise money for the cause. You can attend this event if you are in the Philadelphia area during the month of January.
The moral of this story is that although the ocean is large, it is only made of drops of water. In other words, when everyone works together, small contributions to good causes add up to make a huge difference. Alex’s Lemonade Stand started out as one child hoping to contribute a few dollars to cancer research. The cure for cancer is closer because of Alex and her foundation. Anybody’s dream can become reality and Alex’s desire to help those with cancer has created one of the most well known charities for Cancer research.
About the Author
Cynthia Andrews is a freelance writer who writes about food and beverages, often focusing on certain brands such as Alex’s Lemonade.
The Last Child: The Global Race to End Polio
Lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses can do worse than ruin your holiday they can ruin your life, so you need to read this article to be up to speed on lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses before you travel.
Lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses can be protected against, by taking one or two simple precautions, before, and during your holidays. Many holidaymakers become obsessed with an irrational fear of being bitten by a malaria mosquito, or being felled by a tummy bug, and so fail to enjoy their holiday.
Whilst Lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses can kill, there are sensible precautions that can be taken after identifying and assessing the real risk factors.
There are three main sources of Lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses
INSECT BORNE TROPICAL DISEASES
LACK OF SANITATION CAUSES TROPICAL DISEASES
HUMAN CONTACT AND TROPICAL DISEASES
In each case concerning Lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses the most important fact we need to remember is:
Protection.
There is an old proverb which says that if something can be measured it can be done, and if it can be done it can be improved!!
The same holds good for tropical diseases.
If lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses are known about, you can protect yourself from it, if you can protect yourself from it, and you don’t, you’ll probably catch it!!
The most important precautions against lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses are:
1. Thorough personal hygiene prevents tropical diseases from striking
2. Appropriate clothing and footwear prevents malaria type tropical diseases
3. Vaccinations and a holiday medical kit are also important in the prevention of tropical diseases.
4. Sensible behaviour, there is no protection from lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses without that!!
Let us deal in turn with the most well known potentially lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses
1. Malaria
Malaria is one of the tropical diseases that is widespread in tropical regions.
Infection occurs after a bite from an infected anopheles mosquito.
Protection: preventative medication (malaria prophylaxis).
The type of prophylaxis prescribed will depend upon your ultimate travel destination and any stopovers.
Further precautions are the wearing of clothing that covers the arms and legs and the use of insect repellents and mosquito nets.
Malaria Prevention
Malaria is caught from the bite of an infected mosquito.
It is a disease of the blood.
The mosquitoes do not buzz, and often have a painless bite.
The disease results in fever and flu like symptoms.
Bite prevention is the first line of protection.
If you were born in a malaria zone but have lived away, remember that natural immunity to tropical diseases such as malaria is lost quickly and you should consider antimalarials before returning.
Anti-malarial tablets are safe for most people – see your Doctor or Pharmacist at least 2 weeks before you go away to discuss your needs.
Tablets should be started one week before you reach a malarial zone to make sure they are suitable for you.
Most cases of malaria are contracted because people stop tablets on return home – they should also be taken while you are away and continued for 4 weeks after leaving a malarial zone.
Take tablets at the same time each day or week to make it a habit, take them after food and with plenty of water.
If you are planning to get pregnant – inform your Doctor before you go away.
Any flu like symptoms should be mentioned to your Doctor for up to a year after returning from a malarial zone.
NO MALARIA MEDICATION WILL BE 100% EFFECTIVE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO PREVENT BEING BITTEN!
It is imperative that children receive all the vaccinations recommended, to avoid any chance of them succumbing to tropical diseases.
However, it is not advisable to take infants and small children on holiday to malaria areas.
2. Hepatitis A
This is Infectious jaundice, and it is important that you understand the causes:
Increased risk in areas with poor sanitation, which means most of the third world, makes this one of the commonest tropical diseases.
Infection occurs through contact with contaminated faeces, water (including ice cubes) and food.
Protection:
Vaccination
Preliminary vaccinations with an interval of 2-4 weeks provide immunity for approx.1 year; a booster after 6-12 months then provides immunity for several years.
Administration of immunoglobulin shortly before travel.
3. Yellow fever:
This disease is prevalent in some regions of Africa and South America, and vaccination is required for entry to these countries. Don’t forget to check if you are making stopovers en route: many countries require visitors to be vaccinated if they have previously visited a country where yellow fever is prevalent.
4. Polio
Polio occurs worldwide, though incidence is greater in countries with a generally low standard of health where a comprehensive vaccination programme has not been implemented.
Infection occurs through contact with a carrier of the virus, primarily through contact with faeces, though sometimes via contaminated food and drinking water.
Protection:
Vaccination or booster (in oral form or by injection).
5. Diphtheria
Occurs worldwide, primarily during the colder months in temperate zones.
Recent increased incidence in the CIS countries.
Spread by airborne infection.
Protection:
Vaccination or booster, usually in combination with tetanus vaccine.
6. Meningococcal meningitis:
This disease can, and does, occur anywhere in the world. Recent epidemics in numerous African regions and lately also in Nepal and India.
Protection
Vaccination: particularly recommended for long-stay visitors to epidemic areas.
7. Typhoid, Paratyphoid:
Common infections in many hot countries, makes it one of the higher risk tropical diseases.
Infection via contaminated food and water.
Protection
Careful hygiene and vaccination by mouth or injection.
8. Cholera
Infection from low standards of hygiene where cholera is endemic.
Protection
Vaccination against cholera is not obligatory for international travel.
The vaccine does not protect against infection, though it can prevent outbreak of the disease in individual cases.
A cholera vaccination can be advisable for individuals travelling to areas with low standards of hygiene where cholera is endemic.
If in doubt, consult your doctor.
9. Tetanus
“Lockjaw”.
Widespread internationally.
Infection occurs via contaminated wounds.
Protection:
Vaccination (booster every 10 years), usually in combination with diphtheria.
We have now dealt with the first two parts of the causes of lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses, and as a reminder they are listed below
INSECT BORNE TROPICAL DISEASES
LACK OF SANITATION CAUSES MANY TROPICAL DISEASES
I have deliberately left to the last, the details on the prevention of lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses from HUMAN CONTACT.
Strictly speaking this can’t be described as one of the tropical diseases, but AIDS is endemic in many tropical regions, and so we will include it in our list of tropical diseases.
These are of course in the main, the sexually transmitted diseases, which can have quite horrendous consequences for the careless holidaymaker, not only now but for the rest of their lives
For some, relaxing and having fun on holiday involves casual sexual encounters.
Surveys show that many people have sex with previously unknown foreign partners while abroad resulting in sexually transmitted disease on return home.
Abstinence or sex with a trustworthy, lifelong partner is THE ONLY way of preventing sexually transmitted disease.
Extra strong condoms should always be used when having casual sex, they should be bought at home, before travelling, as in many countries local condoms can be destroyed by heat and are often of a poorer quality.
Couples who do not have any sexually transmitted diseases and no other sexual partners can not contract sexually transmitted diseases while on holiday.
If you have any unusual rash, discharge or soreness on return from your time abroad you should stop having sex and see your Doctor or local GUM clinic Nurse immediately.
Protection against AIDS, hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Today AIDS and hepatitis B, along with the “classics” gonorrhoea and syphilis, are the most dangerous sexually transmitted diseases.
The only sexually transmitted disease that is preventable by vaccination is Hepatitis B – see your Doctor or Nurse 3-6 months before you intend to travel for advice.
80% of AIDS cases reported in the UK in 1993 were contracted while abroad.
AIDS is an as yet incurable disease triggered by the HIV virus.
General weakness and, later, complete collapse of the body’s immune system follow infection.
AIDS is spread primarily through unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person.
The disease usually does not break out until many years after the initial infection.
It is impossible to tell by looking at a person whether they are carrying the virus.
People with HIV can pass it on to others even if they do not feel ill themselves, and they might not even be aware that they have the virus.
The only way of telling whether someone is HIV positive is by means of a blood test. The test is only reliable if carried out three months or more after infection, as it does not indicate the presence of the virus itself, but the body’s reaction to it (antibodies).
The main way in which AIDS is spread is via unprotected sexual intercourse. Infection can occur during a single sexual encounter with an infected partner.
A risk of HIV infection exists from all forms of unprotected sexual contact in which infected semen; blood or vaginal secretions can come into contact with the partner’s mucous membranes.
However, you cannot catch HIV from kissing, stroking, or massage.
The only way of protecting yourself from infection with HIV, hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted diseases is by always using a suitable condom – and using it correctly – during sexual intercourse.
If you don’t want to rule out a sexual adventure while on holiday, make sure that you take enough condoms away with you. The condoms available at your holiday destination, if any, may be of bad quality and therefore unsafe.
You should also bear in mind that the percentage of HIV positive men and women in the population can be very high indeed, particularly in tourist centres in Africa, Asia and America.
In some of these areas as many as three quarters of both male and female prostitutes are already infected with HIV.
AIDS and hepatitis B can also be spread through the use of shared or dirty needles and syringes. If you need regular injections for health reasons, make sure you take an adequate supply of sterile syringes on holiday with you.
HIV cannot be passed on by normal everyday contact with infected persons, so there is no need to worry about using cutlery, bed linen, beds, bathrooms and WCs, swimming pools etc. during your holiday.
To summarise this article on THE PREVENTION of lethal communicable tropical diseases and viruses
BE SENSIBLE, UNDERSTAND THAT TROPICAL DISEASES AWAIT THE UNWARY, SO BE AWARE, VIGILANT, TAKE PRECAUTIONS.
IF YOU CAN’T BE GOOD BE CAREFUL!!
About the Author
Ian Smith goes to the tropics frequently and takes sensible precautions, find out what they are here.Travel advice about Lethal Communicable tropical diseases and viruses
