Everyday medical English

Skin care
The nurse can contribute to the prevention of skin disease by teaching good care of the normal skin and by encouraging people to seek medical attention for abnormal skin conditions.
The old saying that cleanliness is next to godliness is probably not entirely true. People from cultures which do not have a high standard of cleanliness do not necessarily have more skin disease than others. The outer layer of skin cells and perspiration are acid in reactions, and their presence inhibits the life and growth of bacteria. Strong soaps that are alkaline in reaction may neutralize this protective acid condition of the skin. They may also remove the oily secretion of sebaceous glands, which lubricate the outer skin layers and contribute to their health.
The skin should be washed often enough to remove dead skin and oily secretion, since these substances have an unpleasant odour after undergoing bacterial decomposition, but not often enough to cause drying and irritation. There is a great deal of individual variation in the bathing necessary to ensure cleanliness, without causing skin irritation. The person who has an oily skin and perspires freely may need to bathe twice daily in warm weather and wash his/her face several times, whereas the person who has a dry skin may have to use creams and lotions to protect her/his skin even when she/he bathes only once a day. Skin secretions are decreased during cold weather so that most people need to use protective creams or lotions to prevent skin irritation at this time.

Vocabulary
Cleanliness – čistoća
Godliness – pobožnost
Sebaceous glands – lojne žlezde
Lubricate – podmazivati
Skin layer – sloj kože
Contribute – pridoneti
Secretion – lučenje
Odour – miris
Perspire freely – obilno se znojiti

SOURCE: From the book Medical-Surgical Nursing, Kathleen Newton Shafer, Janet R. Sawyer, Audrey M. McCluskey, Edna Lifgren Beck, the C.V. Mosby Company, Saint Louis, 1967. /AN ENGLISH READER – MEDICINE, Sunita Bujas & Vesna Margan, Školska knjiga 2000.

Work in a mental hospital
Anna is a third year student nurse. At present she is doing her term in a mental hospital.
Today she has been assigned to a new ward. At the moment she is being instructed by the sister tutor how to deal with a severe case of depression.
Sister tutor: You’ll find Mr. Briggs completely unresponsive to any attempts to communicate with him.
Anna: Hardly a cheerful prospect, is it?
Sister tutor: Nevertheless being an observant girl, you may find out what type of activity or conversation seems to help him. Don’t be overcheerful or openly solicitous though, it may be upsetting to a depressed patient.
Anna: I see, I’ll have to find a way to offer the patient at least some emotional comfort.
Sister tutor: That’s right and bear in mind that he needs human contact even though he may seem not to notice it. If there is only one person who consistently cares for such a person, this fact alone may be enough to prevent him from considering suicide as the only means of escape.
Anna: I have noticed that he wants someone to be concerned about his welfare but is unable to ask for help openly.
Sister tutor: Your observations are correct. He wishes to be protected from himself. In contemplating suicide he does not really want to die but to express urgency of escape from an unbearable situation.
Anne: Is it true that person who talk about suicide rarely attempt it?
Sister tutor: No, it’s a very dangerous belief. At least a third of those committing suicide talk about it or give some indirect indication of their intention. So watch him closely, Anna, and make a note of everything he says or does.
Anna: You needn’t worry, sister. If he says anything of the kind I’ll report the fact at once to the doctor on duty.
Sister tutor: By the way, he’ll need complete physical care to sustain him and a lot of serious and sympathetic concern.
Anna: That goes without saying, sister, and thank you very much.

Vocabulary
Be unresponsive – ne reagovati
Be solicitous – biti zabrinut
Contemplate suicide – pomišljati na samoubistvo
Attempt suicide – pokušati samoubistvo
Commit suicide – počiniti samoubistvo
Sister tutor – sestra nastavnica

SOURCE: Adapted from the book Medical-Surgical Nursing, Kathleen Newton Shafer, Janet R. Sawyer, Audrey M. McCluskey, Edna Lifgren Beck, the C.V. Mosby Company, Saint Louis, 1967. /AN ENGLISH READER – MEDICINE, Sunita Bujas & Vesna Margan, Školska knjiga 2000.