Nursing Treatment for Tonsilectomy in Children's Hospital, U.S.A.

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XVI, Issue 4, 1 October 1927, Page 193

Nursing Treatment for Tonsilectomy in Children's Hospital, U.S.A.

Patient : Child 9 years of age ; admitted to hospital morning of operation. Short time before going to operating room, Atropine grs. 1/IOOOth, given by hypodermic. On return to ward watched until out of anaesthetic, then lying without pillows, child is turned well on to right side ; Codeine, grs. J, given per hypodermic, collar filled with ice chip is placed round the throat, child usually sleeps quietly for some hours. On awakening is

allowed to eat ice chip ad lib. The first meal given twelve hours or less after operation, consists of small dish of ice cream. The ice collar is refilled as required and anti-septic gargles given. A gargle which comforts the patient consists of Aspirin grs. xv dissolved m half a glass of water. The free use of ice has m all cases — I have seen here — been of benefit, and there is much less bleeding than m cases treated without it.