In general, it may be said that a good physical condition of the body
lessens the chance of an attack of pneumonia. A sensible balance of
rest and exercise to prevent undue fatigue, eating nutritious meals,
and avoiding over-exposure and chilling, all may help. It is the part
of wisdom to stay indoors with a cold, and in bed while there is fever,
for your own benefit as well as to prevent giving your infection to
others.[D] While suffering from colds, grippe, tonsillitis, and the
like, care should be taken to avoid exposure to draughts and rapid
chilling of the body when overheated.
[D] “Living the Healthy Life” tells how to keep fit. “What to Eat and
Why” discusses the question of diet. “That Mean Cold” tells more in
detail about the care of colds. Copies of all these booklets will be
sent to anyone on request.
Overcrowding greatly increases the chance of spreading pneumonia
from person to person. When colds and other respiratory diseases are
prevalent, public gatherings should be avoided as much as possible.
Rules of health departments forbidding spitting should be strictly
obeyed by all. Special precautions should be taken against unnecessary
contact with pneumonia patients and those recently recovered from
the disease, who still may be carriers of the germ. This precaution
is especially important for persons who are run down, or have some
existing respiratory disease.
In the care of patients with pneumonia, the following precautions for
the protection of others must be observed:
If the patient is treated at home, only those responsible for his care
should be permitted in the sick-room.
The patient’s nasal discharges and sputum should be collected in pieces
of cloth or soft paper and burned promptly. Droplet infection may be
avoided by placing a piece of cloth or soft paper over the patient’s
mouth when he coughs or sneezes, and this cloth or paper should be
burned. Unnecessary contamination of bedding or clothing should be
prevented.
The patient’s eating utensils, bedding, and linen should be scalded and
washed in soap and hot water.
Dry sweeping or dusting of the sick-room should not be permitted;
cleaning can be done safely only with a damp cloth.
After each time that care is given to the patient, the attendant should
scrub her hands thoroughly.
Articles which cannot be washed should be thoroughly aired and exposed
to sunlight out-of-doors for a day.
[Illustration: _Dressed for the weather, outdoor exercise keeps the
body fit._]