Care of Patient with Communicable Disease

Preventive Aspect

• Health Education
  Educate the family and the client with respect to:
  • Availability and importance of prophylactic immunization
  • Manner in which infectious illness are spread and methods in avoiding the spread
  • Importance of seeking medical advice in any sign of health problems
  • Importance of environmental cleanliness and personal hygiene
  • Means of preventing contamination of food and water supply
• Immunization
  It is the introduction of specific protective antibodies in a susceptible person or animal or production of cellular immunity in such person or animal

Immunity

It is a condition of being secured or protected against any particular disease.

Acquired Immunity

Immunity that results from the active production or receipt of antibodies during one’s lifetime

Types of Acquired Immunity

• Active Acquired Immunity
  Results if antibodies are actually produced within the person’s body.
  • Natural Active– Immunity that is acquired in response to the entry of a live pathogen into the body
  • Artificial Active– Immunity that is acquired in response to vaccines like Tetanus toxoid.
• Passive Acquired Immunity
  The person receives antibodies that were produced by another person or by animals
  • Natural Passive– Immunity that is acquired by fetus when it receives maternal antibodies in utero or by the infant when it receives maternal colostrums.
  • Artificial Passive– Immunity that is acquired when a person receives antibodies contained antisera or gamma globulin.

Environmental Sanitation

Environmental Sanitation is necessary when taking care of patients with communicable diseases. Following things are usually carried out for this:

• Water Supply Sanitation Program
• Proper Excreta and Sewage Disposal
• Food Sanitation Program
• Hospital Waste Management

Control System

Following control system mechanisms are applied for communicable diseases:

• Isolation and quarantine
• Disinfection
• Disinfestations
• Fumigations/disinfectant fogging

Curative Aspect

Curative aspect includes the following disease management processes:

• Medical management
• Nursing management

Rehabilitative Aspect

Rehabilitative aspect of communicable disease management include the following:

• Activity
• Nutrition.

References

• Mandal, G. (August 2013). A Textbook of Adult Health Nursing (2nd ed.). Dilllibazar kathmandu: Makalu publication house. Retrieved August 2013 
• nursingcrib.com/communicable-diseases/care-for-patient-with-communicable-disease/