Seriously ill and moribund patients

Patients who are in grave (poor) condition, especially in cases of vital organs dysfunction, must be treated in the department of intensive (critical) care. There are several common rules that are applied to such patients in all cases.

If transportation is necessary it should be conducted carefully and by trained personnel. If the patient has hemodynamics disorders then during his transportation intravenous dropper infusion of medicine may become necessary.

To provide rest for the seriously ill patients and at the same time not to disturb other patients they (seriously ill) are placed in boxes (one- or two-bed wards). The patient should take a comfortable position in bed. For that pupose tilting beds are used. To prevent bedsores that can be the result of prolonged bed rest it is important to timely change the bed linen, wash and wipe the skin of the patient after defecation and urination; check the areas of sacral bone, shoulder blades, etc. In case of enuresis caused by the diseases of urinary or nervous system the patient requires bedpan. If the patient does not urinate by himself the urine should be released 1-2 times a day using catheter; if necessary permanent catheter can be placed into urinary bladder, it stays there for 1-3 days.

Feeding patients in comatose state is a complicated matter. Cases of full loss of consciousness or deglutition failure exclude oral feeding, that is why such patients receive artificial nutrition. To fight cases of constipation it is important to increase, if possible, physical activity, avoid using sleeping and sedative pills; during the day drink fruit juices, compotes, fruit and vegetable puree, dried apricots that have laxative effect.

It is important to provide personal hygiene for seriously ill patients.

In order to improve medical care seriously ill patient is in constant presence of the nurse, who stays on her post by the bed of the patient, checks his condition, heart and breathing rate, skin and mucous coats colour, character of excrements. The nurse’s individual post must be fully equipped: care utensils (feeding cup, bedpan, oxygenous pillow, etc.), sterilizer with syringe and needles, spirit, medical substances, bandages.

Important! Seriously ill patient can die not from the disease itself, but from the complications. Only meticulous care provided by the medical personnel can help the recovery of such patients.