,,pneumonia ,its care and prevention ,copyright1 #aidj ,john ,hancock ,mutual ,life ,insurance ,company of ,boston1 ,massachusetts ,l#fc-i-dj ,,pneumonia ,,its ,,care ,,and ,,prevention ,life ,conservation ,service of the ,,john ,,hancock ,,mutual ,,life ,,insurance ,,company of ,boston1 ,massachusetts ,an ,urgent ,message3 ,if you suspect that someone in your family has pneumonia1 it is vital that you call your doctor without a moment's delay4 ,if it is pneumonia1 hours will count4 ,newly introduced drugs have proved of great value in curing pneumonia but early medical treatment and prompt nursing care are necessary if the new treatment is to do the most good4 ,that you may know something about pneumonia1 the kind of medical treatment and nursing care required1 and the ways by which the disease may be prevented1 this pamphlet is sent to you4 ,life ,conservation ,service of the ,john ,hancock ,mutual ,life ,insurance ,company of ,boston1 ,massachusetts ,,pneumonia ,,its ,,care ,,and ,,prevention ,pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs4 ,despite all the progress recently made in the treatment of the disease1 it remains among the most common causes of death4 ,pneumonia is always a serious matter1 and should be regarded as an emergency calling for immediate medical care4 ,the inflammation of the lungs may be due to one of a number of different kinds of germ1 but the bacteria known as pneumococci cause about four cases out of every five4 ,there are several varieties1 or types1 of pneumococci and the treatment may vary with the type4 ,your doctor has at his command some new drugs,a but for some types of pneumonia he may combine the drug with a curative serum4 ,a ,the different members of this new family of drugs1 sulfanilamide1 sulfapyridine1 sulfathiazol1 etc4 are used depending upon the nature of the pneumonia4 ,if the inflammation is due to one of the various other germs that cause the remaining fifth of the pneumonia cases1 still other treatment may be needed4 ,it is clear1 then1 that your physician should be called promptly when pneumonia is suspected so that he may have the laboratory tests made that will tell him with what kind of germ infection he has to deal4 ,then he can decide what kind of treatment to employ4 ,pneumonia ,is ,contagious ,pneumonia appears to be spread from person to person by contact1 so it is regarded as a communicable disease4 ,as it is contagious1 the spread of infection can be stopped if precautions are taken to prevent the transfer of the infectious material from the sick to the well4 ,the secretions from the nose and throat of persons sick with pneumonia1 or convalescing from the disease1 usually carry the germs that cause it4 ,the transfer may take place through direct contact with these secretions1 or inhaling droplets of moist sputum expelled by the sick person while coughing or sneezing4 ,pneumonia is no respecter of persons4 ,it may attack tiny babies1 adults in the prime of life1 or elderly people3 so everyone must be on guard4 ,this is especially true in late winter and early spring when the disease is most likely to occur4 ,pneumonia often begins during or just after an attack of the common cold1 grippe1 whooping cough1 or measles1 and after surgical operations1 especially those upon the chest4 ,in other conditions1 such as unusual and prolonged fatigue or exposure to bad weather resulting in a thorough chilling1 the chance of infection is increased4 ,early ,signs of ,pneumonia ,in most cases of pneumonia the disease is readily recognized4 ,there is often a preceding cold1 but the onset of the pneumonia is usually abrupt1 with sharp pain in the side1 fever1 a cough1 a sense of chilliness or evident chills1 and the expectoration of sputum streaked1 or tinged1 with blood4 ,illustration3 ,immediate medical and nursing care are vital in pneumonia4 ,if you should ever have any of these early signs of pneumonia1 get promptly into bed and stay there4 ,have your doctor called without a moment's delay4 ,you will improve your chance of a quick recovery if you give him the opportunity to determine the cause of your infection before it is many hours old4 ,remember3 the longer the disease exists before treatment is begun1 the more difficult it may prove to cure4 ,finding the ,cause ,the exact cause of the inflammation can be determined only by a laboratory examination of specimens of sputum or blood4 ,fortunately1 in most sections of the country1 diagnostic services are now readily available4 ,the kind of germ is determined earliest by examining specimens of sputum4,b ,though the patient may have some difficulty in raising sputum1 enough for laboratory needs can almost always be obtained if its importance is explained to him4 ,the expectorated material should come from the lungs1 and should be as free as possible from mixture with saliva and nasal secretions4 ,the sputum can be collected in any clean1 wide-mouthed bottle1 or a cardboard sputum box1 and sent without delay to the nearest laboratory4 ,within a short time a report is returned to your doctor advising him of the findings of the examination4 ,if pneumococci have been found1 the special type will be named4 ,b ,blood specimens are also of importance in diagnosis of the disease and determining the course of treatment4 ,illustration3 ,laboratories are now equipped to make prompt and reliable examinations of sputum specimens4 ,hospital and ,nursing ,care ,the new drugs which have been found so successful in curing pneumonia occasionally make the patient nauseated and uncomfortable for a time4 ,the curative serums which are used for certain types of pneumonia1 also may sometimes produce unpleasant reactions temporarily4 ,with both treatments it is essential that the patient be watched over by alert attendants at all times4 ,hence many doctors prefer that the pneumonia patient be taken to the hospital as soon as he becomes sick so that he can have the benefit of constant nursing care and so that everything possible may be done to avoid unpleasant reactions or allay the symptoms if they should occur4 ,if the patient must remain at home it is evident that he should have the best possible nursing care4 ,when a full-time nurse is not to be in attendance1 then the visiting nurse should be called in promptly4 ,she not only will give the care to the patient that the doctor orders but will instruct the members of the family who must attend to the patient's needs during her absence4 ,in addition to receiving the treatment already discussed1 it is essential that the patient's position in bed be changed at intervals to relieve congestion and increase comfort4 ,from lying on his back he may be moved to one side or the other1 but this1 too1 must be done for him4 ,so1 it is evident that constant care is vitally needed4 ,the doctor's orders must be followed to the last detail4 ,nothing is unimportant4 ,the nurse will assist the attendants in following instructions4 ,she will teach them what to observe in the patient's condition1 how to report the progress of the disease to the physician1,c and will advise the members of the family how to prevent the spread of the patient's infection to others in the household4 ,c ,the two booklets1 8,home ,care of ,communicable ,diseases0 and 8,caring for the ,sick in the ,home10 will prove useful as supplements to the nurse's instruction4 ,they are free for the asking4 ,preventing ,pneumonia ,in general1 it may be said that a good physical condition of the body lessens the chance of an attack of pneumonia4 ,a sensible balance of rest and exercise to prevent undue fatigue1 eating nutritious meals1 and avoiding over-exposure and chilling1 all may help4 ,it is the part of wisdom to stay indoors with a cold1 and in bed while there is fever1 for your own benefit as well as to prevent giving your infection to others4,d ,while suffering from colds1 grippe1 tonsillitis1 and the like1 care should be taken to avoid exposure to draughts and rapid chilling of the body when overheated4 ,d 8,living the ,healthy ,life0 tells how to keep fit4 8,what to ,eat and ,why0 discusses the question of diet4 8,that ,mean ,cold0 tells more in detail about the care of colds4 ,copies of all these booklets will be sent to anyone on request4 ,overcrowding greatly increases the chance of spreading pneumonia from person to person4 ,when colds and other respiratory diseases are prevalent1 public gatherings should be avoided as much as possible4 ,rules of health departments forbidding spitting should be strictly obeyed by all4 ,special precautions should be taken against unnecessary contact with pneumonia patients and those recently recovered from the disease1 who still may be carriers of the germ4 ,this precaution is especially important for persons who are run down1 or have some existing respiratory disease4 ,in the care of patients with pneumonia1 the following precautions for the protection of others must be observed3 ,if the patient is treated at home1 only those responsible for his care should be permitted in the sick-room4 ,the patient's nasal discharges and sputum should be collected in pieces of cloth or soft paper and burned promptly4 ,droplet infection may be avoided by placing a piece of cloth or soft paper over the patient's mouth when he coughs or sneezes1 and this cloth or paper should be burned4 ,unnecessary contamination of bedding or clothing should be prevented4 ,the patient's eating utensils1 bedding1 and linen should be scalded and washed in soap and hot water4 ,dry sweeping or dusting of the sick-room should not be permitted2 cleaning can be done safely only with a damp cloth4 ,after each time that care is given to the patient1 the attendant should scrub her hands thoroughly4 ,articles which cannot be washed should be thoroughly aired and exposed to sunlight out-of-doors for a day4 ,illustration3 ,dressed for the weather1 outdoor exercise keeps the body fit4 ,points to ,remember about ,pneumonia ,pneumonia may attack without warning1 but often is preceded by a cold4 ,if chills1 fever1 pain in the chest1 and sputum tinged with blood occur1 it is a signal to get to bed promptly and have the doctor called immediately4 ,new drugs have proved to be of great benefit in treatment1 but for certain types of pneumonia both drugs and serum may be needed4 ,good nursing care is vital4 ,if the patient is not to be treated in a hospital1 provision should be made for a full-time nurse1 or for regular care by the visiting nurse4 ,life ,conservation ,service of the ,illustration3 ,john ,hancock ,,mutual ,,life ,,insurance ,,company ,,of ,,boston1 ,,massachusetts ,l#fc-i-dj ,printed in ,u4 ,s4 ,a4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,text in italics is enclosed by underscores 7italics74 ,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4