Show Your Doctor Says o 0 The Thc following is u one of oln a series of articles written by members of the Utah State Stat Medical Association and published in cooperation with until your 10 ocal o- o cal newspaper These articles are arc scheduled to appear every evert other week throughout the year in an effort to better beller acquaint you with problems of health and designed to improve the well being of the p people ople o of Utah THE PATIENTS PATIENT'S CARE AFTER V VA A bett better r understanding of or postoperative postoperative postoperative post post- operative or alter surgical care careby by try patients will certainly minimize minimize min minimize min min- the fears of surgery which are usually based on tion A patient prepared adequately adequately adequately ade ade- from a mental standpoint aids in m an earlier recovery and con convalescence After surgery care can be divided di divided divided di- di vided very conveniently into three stages or periods After the dressing is applied to the wound one might say that the after care of the surgical patient begins This immediate period is is one of the most important and c critical The modern hospital of pf today is equipped with p r ti n re recovery recovery recovery re- re covery wards which are are staffed by nurse and anesthesia specialists special special- in m the care of the immediate post operation patient Because most major operations are arc performed performed performed per per- formed under gen general ral or gas gasI anesthesia it is essential that the I 1 patient be observed by trained personnel until all reactions such as cough swallowing etc have returned to normal It is during this phase of or re recovery recovery re- re covery which may last for several several sev sev- eral oral hours that the pulse and blood pressure arc recorded every fifteen to twenty minutes in order to detect shock and hem hem- The impression most people have regarding blood transfusions is that they spell dis dis- dis- dis aster This is erroneous en because they are arc given to prevent dis dis- aster The giving of blood transfusions transfusions transfusions trans trans- fusions during major operations is a routine procedure today This replaces blood loss and rests the heart and lungs during prolonged surgical procedures Also the use of oxy oxygen en does not spell disaster but it is given to restore normal function of the heart and lungs This i immediate m m e d i ate stage tage post- post f t t t Ji i j i y t J. kl J u nY I t Z 1 j nJ M I operative is an observation and recovery period for the patient and anxious relatives should not be fearful because the patient has not been returned immediately to his or her hospital room following following follow fullow- ing surgical operations The fhe next period or phase in inthe inthe the he after surgery care begins when the patient is returned to the room This period on the j I average lasts from twenty-four twenty to eight forty hours and consists of I replacement of body water and salts Since these cannot usually be taken by mouth because of nausea and vomiting they are administered intravenously and I Ithe I the average adult will require nearly three qu quarts of or fluids daily in order to prevent dehydration dehydration dehy dehy- and maintain normal kidney kidney kidney kid kid- ney function A common complaint complaint complaint com com- plaint during this period of recovery recovery recovery re re- covery by patients pa having had stomach surge surgery is the discomfort produced by the tube through the nose that drains the stomach It Itis Itis Itis is necessary the first several da days s sin in order to prevent stomach dIstention distention dis- dis and allow the operation on the stomach to heal Earl Early ambulation is is usually begun begun begun be be- gun during this period This Thie means getting the patient out of bed as soon as possible usually in m the first firs twenty-four twenty to forty forty- eight hours with the patient in instructed instructed instructed in- in to actively walk The walking time i is increased daily During these periods the patient is instructed to brea breath th deeply to prevent lu lung g complications The walking and le leg movements performed performed performed per per- formed while in in bed speed up the circulation which lessens the formation of dangerous blood clots and improves circulation in general Other advantages of early walking include improved urinary bladder and bowel bowe function function function tion with lowered incidence of vomiting distention gas pains and constipation The use of the uncomfortable bed nans pans has certainly certainly certainly been minimized by these methods The final period of or after surgery surgery surgery sur sur- gery care is the hospital convalescence convalescence convalescence conval conval- stage This has been materially materially materially ma ma- shortened so that the surgical patients patient's time of hospital stay will be on the average of ofa a week This has helped relieve relic the shortage of hospital beds throughout the country It is because of these advances that the risk involved in any surgical surgical surgical sur sur- procedure has been extreme extremely ly small A knowledge of or what to expect when one undergoes surgery surgery surgery sur sur- gery will certainly help to tor discard discard dis dis- card ones one's fear of the knife i i J t |