American Journal of Nursing

7/27/2019 American Journal of Nursing

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TuberculosisSource: The American Journal of Nursing, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Dec., 1921), pp. 177-178Published by: Lippincott Williams & WilkinsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3406984 .

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TUBERCULOSISPrepa,red or the JOURNALy the National Tu,berculosisAssoc?vtionTHERE was a time, not long distant, whenthe word"tuberculosis"was usedbut little andunderstood till less by the generalpublic.Theterm"consumption,"n the other hand,had a very definitemean-ing in the people's magination. It called up the vision of an emaci-ated personwith a hollowcoughand a carmine spot on each sunkencheek, -thepersonhad a "catching'tdisease, and the safest way notto endangerone's life was to keep decidedlyout of his way. Peoplewho nursed consumptives,so ran the fable, were almost certain to"getit^'hemselves. Thusfar extended he knowledgeof tuberculosis,and altogetherthe lay public and even nurses and practicingphysi-cians stood in mighty awe of the diseasewhich an imaginativewriterhad dramaticallytermed the Great White Plague.Years of education,experimentationand research by specialists,however havealmostbrokendownthe powerfulbarriersof ignoranceand exaggeratedfear. We now know that a large majority of thechildren under fifteen years of age are infected with the tuberclebacillus, and that the ultimate development nto active disease de-pends to a considerabledegree on food,workingconditionsandhabitsof living. Tuberculosishas certain definitesymptoms,recognizablelong beforeemaciation,expectoration,and the hectic flushbetray theadvancedcase. Loss of weight, a persistent "cold," asting fatigue,all these shouldarousesuspicion in the observeracquaintedwith thedisease. Tuberculosiss a preventabledisease,whichmeansnot onlythat every individual should keep himself physically fit, but thatactive tuberculosis must be discoveredearly so as to increase thepatient's chances of recovery, and prevent the infection or reinfec-tion of others.Thefact that the amountof tuberculosis s decreasingevery yearis due in no smallmeasureto the increase in the numberof sanatoriafor the care of incipient cases. A visit to such an institution maycause the skepticto pauseand wonder if the examiningphysician didnot, perhaps,makean error in his diagnosis; so healthy, ruddy andha}?pydo the patients appear. Yet these are the cases who, becausethey recognizethe importanceof early treatment,have the greatestchance of recovery. There are still many nurses who hesitate toenter the tuberculosis field because of the fear of infection Withthe training in sputumtechnic that every patient in a sanatoriumreceives, however, and which every attending nurse and physicianthoroughlyunderstands,he chancesof infectionare almostnil. For,177

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17878 The AmericanJournalof Nursinghe AmericanJournalof Nursingas the NationalTuberculosisAssociationphrases it, "a careful con-sumptiveis not dangerous."

TheNationalAssociationadvocates hat !studentnursesbe givenfirst hand opportunity o becomeacquaintedwith the symptomsandcare of tuberculosisby the establishmentof tuberculosiswards ingeneralhospitals. Toraise fundsfor thiisandothereducationalwork,the Association and its affiliatedorganizationsare conductingtheFourteenthAnnual Sale of ChristmasSeals in December.

EMERGENCYEXPERIENCESOF A PRIVATEDUTY NURSEBYSERENA. ALEXANDER,.N.Asheville,N. C.(Continued rom page 88, NovemberJOURNAL)THE patientgrew worse; complicationsbeganto set in. I did not1 know there could be so many complicationswith pneumonia.Among the most distressing was an abdominal distension whichgrew constantlyworse. I calledthe doctor'sattentionto this and tothe fact that all my effortsto relieveit had failed. He took from hissatchel a trocar and handed it to me, saying that if the conditiongrew worse I wouldhave to use it. I askedhow I was to use it. lIereplied,"Why, ust sterilizeit andpuncture he abdomen." (Anotherexampleof the countrydoctor'sunlimitedconfidencen the ability ofthe nurse to do anything.) "But, Doctor,"I said, "I can't do that.We are not taught to do a paracentesisand I can't undertake t. Ishall send for you if it becomesnecessary." He replied that if itbecamenecessaryit wouldbe too late by the time he got there, andhe left me feeling very miserable,but determinednot to go exploringintomy patient'sabdomenat hazard. At 2 a. m., I 'phoned he doctor.Onhearing my reporthe said there was no use in his coming,therewas nothingmoreto be doneand she wouldprobablybe deadbeforehe got there. He didnot say anythingmoreaboutthat trocar,to lnygreatrelief, but said I mighttry anythingI wantedto. I tried everr-thing I had ever heard of, except puncturingthe abdomen,and, inspite of it all, she rallied and after a long, hard fight, came back tohealthand usefulness.

For the past five years I have done officeand emergencyworkduringthe three summermonths for a physicianlocatedin a smallmountainvillage which,duringthe season,is quite a summerresort.It is situatedat the top of a steep and dangerousrailroadgrade anfl

as the NationalTuberculosisAssociationphrases it, "a careful con-sumptiveis not dangerous."TheNationalAssociationadvocates hat !studentnursesbe givenfirst hand opportunity o becomeacquaintedwith the symptomsandcare of tuberculosisby the establishmentof tuberculosiswards ingeneralhospitals. Toraise fundsfor thiisandothereducationalwork,the Association and its affiliatedorganizationsare conductingtheFourteenthAnnual Sale of ChristmasSeals in December.

EMERGENCYEXPERIENCESOF A PRIVATEDUTY NURSEBYSERENA. ALEXANDER,.N.Asheville,N. C.(Continued rom page 88, NovemberJOURNAL)THE patientgrew worse; complicationsbeganto set in. I did not1 know there could be so many complicationswith pneumonia.Among the most distressing was an abdominal distension whichgrew constantlyworse. I calledthe doctor'sattentionto this and tothe fact that all my effortsto relieveit had failed. He took from hissatchel a trocar and handed it to me, saying that if the conditiongrew worse I wouldhave to use it. I askedhow I was to use it. lIereplied,"Why, ust sterilizeit andpuncture he abdomen." (Anotherexampleof the countrydoctor'sunlimitedconfidencen the ability ofthe nurse to do anything.) "But, Doctor,"I said, "I can't do that.We are not taught to do a paracentesisand I can't undertake t. Ishall send for you if it becomesnecessary." He replied that if itbecamenecessaryit wouldbe too late by the time he got there, andhe left me feeling very miserable,but determinednot to go exploringintomy patient'sabdomenat hazard. At 2 a. m., I 'phoned he doctor.Onhearing my reporthe said there was no use in his coming,therewas nothingmoreto be doneand she wouldprobablybe deadbeforehe got there. He didnot say anythingmoreaboutthat trocar,to lnygreatrelief, but said I mighttry anythingI wantedto. I tried everr-thing I had ever heard of, except puncturingthe abdomen,and, inspite of it all, she rallied and after a long, hard fight, came back tohealthand usefulness.

For the past five years I have done officeand emergencyworkduringthe three summermonths for a physicianlocatedin a smallmountainvillage which,duringthe season,is quite a summerresort.It is situatedat the top of a steep and dangerousrailroadgrade anfl

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American Journal of Nursing

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