cough-cold-flu
Diseases Process
Instructed patient how do I care for my skin around my trach tube. Clean your skin at least once each day. You may need to clean it more often if you cough up a lot of thick mucus. You may need someone to help you clean your skin. Wash your hands and put on gloves. This will prevent infection. Suction the area around your stoma. This will help remove mucus .Clean your skin around the stoma, clean the tube flanges, change wet or dirty trach ties., place a gauze between your skin and the flanges and check your skin every day for signs of infection. Look for redness or swelling of the skin around your tube. Also look for pus, bleeding, or a rash.
Patient is called prior to SN visit to ask if any of their relatives have symptoms associated with COVID 19, such as fever or dry cough.
Instructed in measures to decrease risk of angina pectoris: exercise regularly, take regular rest periods, eat small frequent meals, dress warmly in cold weather, take medications as prescribed, eat diet high in fiber and others.
Instructed in signs and symptoms of anemia such as headaches, palpitations, paleness of skin, dizziness, increased sensitivity to cold, brittle fingernails and hair, difficulty swallowing, tiredness, etc.
Instructed in factors that increase the risk of asthma such as respiratory infection, cold air, emotional stress, allergens (dust, pollens, certain medicine, certain food, etc), environment pollution, exercise and fatigue.
Instructed in various factors that help alleviate pain without, or in addition to, analgesics such as frequent position changes, relaxation techniques, heat or cold, regular rest periods, pillows to support painful area, etc.
Instructed in S/S of hypoglycemia, including cold sweat, shaking, blurred vision, faintness, hunger, headache, confused thinking and impatience. Instructed if these S/S occur to take fast acting sugar, such as orange juice with sugar or glucose tablets.
Instructed SO on how symptoms differ among individuals, depending on the severity of the case: sensitivity to cold temperature, dry skin, constipation, forgetfulness, chronic fatigue, decreased heart rate, depression, hair loss, weight gain, muscle stiffness and cramping, lack of facial expression, enlarged tongue.
Instructed patient about factors that increase risk for pneumonia, such as smoking and air pollution, upper respiratory infections, prolonged immobility, malnutrition; chronic diseases: diabetes, cancer, renal disease, cardiac disease; exposure to cold, damp weather, inhalation of noxious substances, use of immunosuppressive drugs; age: very young or very old, frequent intoxication from alcohol.
Instructed patient to check feet's temperature. If they feel cold or hot, something could be wrong.