【Learning points】
- When patients receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy, white blood cells will decrease (neutrophils are less than 1000 cells / mm3). At this time, the immune resistance is lower than normal people.
- When white blood cell counts are low, contact with infants and young children should be avoided. Flowers and potted plants should not be placed in the ward to prevent infection.
- If the ear temperature rises to 38℃, please measure again after one hour. If the fever has not dropped or the fever is above 38.3℃, you should go to the emergency department immediately.
I.Why do I need protective isolation?
The flora of a healthy person usually does not make you sick, but if your immune resistance is dropped by the side effects of disease or treatment, and the original flora is out of balance, you will increase the chance of infection. Therefore, you need to be protected!
II.The way to protect yourself
- Restricted visitors: When patients receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy, white blood cells will decrease (neutrophils are less than 1000 cells / mm3). At this time, the immune resistance is lower than normal people. To avoid suffering from infection, the following situations should be avoided:
- Avoid to contact with infants and young children.
- Avoid touching flowers and potted plants.
- Visitors with sources of infection should not visit patients: symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, diarrhea, cold, and epidemic infectious diseases such as measles.
- Caregivers should be fixed, and visitors are limited to one or two people per day.
- Express your cocern by phone or video.
- Wash your hands and wear a mask before visiting the patient.
- Patient care: focus on preventing infection.
- Personal hygiene:
- Take a bath and keep it clean at all time.
- Wash hands before meals and after toilet.
- Using water-soluble emollient oil to prevent chapped skin.
- If any part of the body such as limbs, trunk, perineum and anus appear redness, swelling, heating, painful, or ulcer, you should inform doctor and nurse immediately.
- Caregivers need to maintain personal hygiene.
- Oral hygiene must be kept after meals and using mouthwash which was prescribed by doctor. When you get canker sore in mouth, oral care should be strengthened.
- Food choices:
- Keep balanced diet, and food should be cooked and eaten when the meal is finished.
- Avoid raw foods such as sashimi, lettuce, and yogurt.
- Choose fruits that can be peeled.
- Personal safety:
- Cut your fingernails and toenails short.
- Keep clean and avoid using sharp instruments.
- Face masks should be worn when going to public places.Masks should be replaced if they are dirty or wet.
- Environmental aspects:
- Don’t go to crowded places to prevent infection.
- Don’t put trash and potties at bedside.
- When you finish using potties or urine pot, it should be cleaned and kept dried immediately.
- Pets may be a source of pathogenic bacteria and should avoid to contact it as possible.
- Do not place lots of objects in the surroundings to prevent dust accumulation.
- Use a damp cloth to clean surroundings and avoid air dust.
III.What may have been infected?
The most common symptom is fever, when you go home, please check your temperature every day. If the ear temperature rises to 38℃, please measure again after one hour. If the fever has not dropped or the fever is above 38.3℃, you should go to the emergency department immediately. If inpatients have the following symptoms, they should immediately notify the medical staff to do medical treatment.
- Chillness.
- Cough, shortness of breath and wheezing.
- Burning sensation during urination.
- Severe diarrhea.
- Redness, swelling or pain on the skin or injection site.
- Fever (when the axillary temperature exceeds 37.8℃ or the mouth temperature exceeds 38℃).
When you get fever but do not have chillness or other side effects, please drink plenty of water, reduce clothing and covers, and turn down the indoor temperature. There can help lower your body temperature.
IV.Conclusion
"Prevention is better than cure." Protective isolation should be done at any time when resistance is reduced, to avoid any chance of infection. Careful protection of yourself can have a healthy body to meet more challenges.
V. Reference:
- 杜玲、陳秀勤、劉清華、楊婉萍(2019)‧癌症病人之護理‧於胡月娟總校閱,內外科護理學(六版,288-291頁)‧華杏。
- 張薰榕(2021)‧血液系統疾病病人的護理‧於廖張京棣、蔡秀鑾總校閱,最新實用內外科護理學(六版,第14章,5-76頁)‧永大。