Productive cough due to congestions and bronchitis.
Water Treatments:
- Fomentation on the chest and back.
- Steam inhalation.
Procedure for Fomentation:
1. Remove patient’s clothing and cover with sheet or blanket.
2. Have basin of ice water and compress at bedside of the patient.
3. Close windows near patient’s bed to avoid drafts.
4. Cover area to be treated with one bath towel.
5. Writing out one bath towel from boiling water.
6. Spread the dry towel to the body area to be treated, over the dry towel.
7. Apply the hot towel to the body area to be treated, over the dry towel.
8. Apply cold compress to the patient’s head. Change it three times during the application of each fomentation.
9. Give three changes of hot fomentation, drying the treated area quickly between applications. Change fomentation every 5 minutes or till it gets warm or cool. Don’t wait till towel gets cold before removing it.
10. Have hot towel ready before used hot towel is removed from the treated area.
11. After the last fomentation, rub the area quickly with cold compress wrung from the ice water.
12. Dry thoroughly and give sponge or warm bath if desired.
13. Let patient rest after the treatment.
Procedure for Inhalation:
1. Fill up kettle with water just below the level of the spout, and bring the water to boiling point. Add 1 tsp. of medication (Vicks or Benzoin) into the boiling water.
2. Carry the stove and the kettle with caution near the bedside of the patient, if the patient is unable to stand or sit on the chair.
3. If a croup tent is indicated, open an umbrella over the head of the patient and cover it with a sheet to form a tent.
4. With the newspaper make a cylindrical tube to direct the steam into the tent away from the patient’s face.
5. If the patient is able to sit on the chair, he may sit near the stove in the kitchen. With the cylindrical tube of paper the steam is directed into the patient’s face for inhalation.
6. Treatment time: 30 minutes to one hour, morning and evening, as tolerated.
