Nursing care in the treatment of patients with respiratory diseases

Respiratorne bolesti široko su zastupljene u današnjici. Akutne respiratorne infekcije nose dvije trećine svih infekcija suvremenog čovjeka, dok su kronične respiratorne bolesti treći najčešći ubojica današnjice. I prije stotinu godina, za vrijeme španjolske gripe, a i danas skrb medicinske sestre kod respiratornih bolesti, možda je najzahtjevnija i najzastupljenija grana sestrinske skrbi o bolesnima. Postoje mnogi simptomi koji mogu ukazivati na neku respiratornu bolest, a neki od njih su kašalj, zapuha dispneja, bol u prsima, iskašljavanje sekreta, grlobolja itd. Medicinska sestra u svome radu s respiratornim bolestima, mora koristiti brojne vještine i očuvati empatiju. Bolesti dišnog sustava su brojne i jedinstvene, a medicinska sestra mora sa svima njima biti dobro upoznata. Kod astme, koja je jedna od najčešćih kroničnih bolesti, važno je da medicinska sestra bolesnika educira o pravilnoj primjeni inhalatora, o rizičnim čimbenicima koji pogoršavaju kliničku sliku (okidači) i o pravovremenom prepoznavanju simptoma statusa astmaticusa. Ukoliko njezin bolesnik ima pneumoniju, medicinska sestra mora osigurati prohodnost dišnog puta, snižavati tjelesnu temperature, pravilno uzimati mikrobiološke i laboratorijske uzorke. Osim toga, podučava bolesnika vježbama disanja te aktivno sudjeluje u prevenciji same bolesti edukacijom stanovništva o važnosti higijene ruku, izbjegavanja zatvorenih prostora s mnogo ljudi te kašljanja u maramicu. Boluje li osoba od raka pluća, medicinska sestra ima osjetljivu i vitalnu ulogu za bolesnika i obitelj. Ona mora bolesnika smiriti, pomoći mu da se nosi s dijagnozom i problemima koje ona nosi. Kod svih komplikacija kemoterapije, medicinska sestra mora pomoći u otklanjanju ili olakšavanju simptoma koje ona nosi. I kada nikakva terapija ne pomaže, medicinska sestra mora očuvati kvalitetu života i osigurati mirnu i dostojanstvenu smrt.Respiratory diseases are widespread in today world. Acute respiratory infections carry two-thirds of all infections in modern man, while chronic respiratory diseases are the third most common cause of death today. A hundred years ago, during the Spanish flu, and even today, nursing care for respiratory diseases is perhaps the most demanding and prevalent branch of nursing care for the sick. There are many symptoms that can indicate a respiratory disease, and some of them are cough, dyspnea, chest pain, coughing up secretions, sore throat, etc. The nurse in her work with respiratory diseases, must use a number of skills and maintain empathy. Respiratory diseases are numerous and unique, and the nurse must be well acquainted with all of them. In asthma, which is one of the most common chronic diseases, it is important that the nurse educates the patient about the proper use of inhalers, about the risk factors that worsen the clinical picture (triggers) and about the timely recognition of status asthmaticus symptoms. If her patient has pneumonia, the nurse must ensure airway patency, lower body temperature, and take microbiological and laboratory samples properly. In addition, she teaches patients breathing exercises and actively participates in the prevention of the disease itself by educating the population about the importance of hand hygiene, avoiding closed spaces with many people and coughing into a tissue. If a person has lung cancer, the nurse has a sensitive and vital role for the patient and the family. It can calm the patient, help him cope with the diagnosis and the problems it brings. With all the complications of chemotherapy, the nurse must help eliminate or alleviate the symptoms chemotherapy is carrying. And when no therapy helps, the nurse must preserve the quality of life and ensure a peaceful and dignified death