Home care for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

Family members of patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should create a good home environment for the patient's treatment and recuperation based on the above-mentioned self-care principles, and check and urge the patient to follow these recuperation requirements.

A good mood requires a harmonious and warm atmosphere; preparing a patient's diet mainly relies on family members for planning and preparation; participation in activities, maintaining a regular lifestyle, and quitting smoking and alcohol also require the supervision and guarantee of family members.

Regular or spontaneous hospital checkups or treatments, as well as consistent home medication use, all rely on the presence of family members to monitor the condition, understand medical advice, and be aware of home care procedures.

Therefore, for family members of patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, it is very important to have a systematic understanding of the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment methods, and recuperation requirements of the disease in order to provide good home care.

In addition, acute attacks of angina, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest (sudden death), cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction all involve issues of pre-hospital care and post-discharge treatment. The timeliness and success of rescue, the treatment and recuperation during the remission period, and the length of the rehabilitation course are all directly related to home care.

The following section introduces some home first aid and nursing knowledge regarding pre-hospital care for acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, nursing care for stroke-paralyzed bedridden patients, and care for Alzheimer's disease.

Patients with coronary heart disease who experience recurrent angina should pay special attention to their emotions, rest, diet, and smoking and alcohol consumption. They should keep fast-acting angina relief medications such as nitroglycerin tablets, amyl nitrite, and quick-acting heart-saving pills at home.

When angina occurs, you should lie down and rest immediately, and take medication by sucking on your mouth or inhaling. Angina can be relieved within minutes.

If the patient experiences dizziness, headache, facial flushing, irritability, etc., these are side effects caused by vasodilators. Therefore, the dosage should not be too high or too frequent. If necessary, a small amount of sedatives such as diazepam can be given.

If chest pain is severe and sudden, lasts for a long time, and nitroglycerin or similar medications are ineffective, acute myocardial infarction should be considered, and the patient should be taken to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

During the remission period of angina, you should try to avoid all possible triggering factors, but you do not need to stay in bed.

To prevent angina, one should abstain from smoking and alcohol, avoid overeating, reduce mental stress, maintain appropriate physical activity, and take long-acting anti-anginal medications orally.

After an acute myocardial infarction has been treated and the patient's condition has stabilized, the patient should move their limbs to prevent thrombosis.

It is generally recommended to gradually get out of bed and move around after 4 to 6 weeks of bed rest.

Depending on the severity of the illness, the bed rest time can be adjusted appropriately, gradually increasing indoor activities and then gradually resuming light work.

However, it is essential to avoid heavy physical labor and excessive mental stress.

The diet must be low in salt, low in calories, and easily digestible. It is essential to keep bowel movements regular, and laxatives can be used for constipation.

Regular check-ups at the hospital are necessary, medication should be taken as prescribed by the doctor, and it is best to have oxygen available at home so that oxygen can be inhaled at any time if necessary.

Severe arrhythmias in coronary heart disease or acute myocardial infarction can lead to cardiac arrest.

In such cases, timely first aid at home is crucial for successful rescue and prognosis.

If a patient is found to be unconscious or convulsing, with no pulse or heart sounds, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be performed as soon as possible. The specific steps are as follows: ① Precordial percussion: punch the patient's precordial area several times, which may restore the heartbeat.

If boxing is ineffective after several attempts, cardiac massage should be performed instead.

② Cardiac massage: At home, only external chest massage can be performed. The patient lies flat on a hard bed or floor. The operator kneels beside the patient, presses the lower half of the sternum with the heel of one hand, and places the other hand on top of the first hand. With both elbows straight, the operator uses their body weight to apply pressure and rhythmically compresses the sternum to lower it by about 4 centimeters, at a rate of 60 to 70 times per minute.

The pressure should not be too light, as this will be ineffective, nor should it be too strong or heavy, as this can cause fractures.

When the massage is effective, the pulsation of the carotid and femoral arteries can be felt.

③ Artificial respiration: If breathing stops or becomes slow and shallow after the heart stops beating, artificial respiration should be performed.

In an emergency, mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose resuscitation should be performed first.

First, loosen the patient's collar and belt and lay them flat. Place a pillow under their shoulders or use one hand to lift their neck and tilt their head back to ensure an open airway.

When performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, pinch the nostrils closed with your hands and blow air into the mouth of the patient while keeping the lips of the operator in close contact.

When breathing through your mouth and nose, support your chin with one hand and use the other hand to make a circular motion around your nostrils to blow air.

The operator takes a deep breath and blows forcefully into the patient's mouth or nose to expand the patient's chest cavity; when removing the mouth, the air is exhaled through the patient's own chest cavity due to its elasticity.

Blow air intermittently and regularly, 12 to 16 times per minute.

When blowing air, be careful not to let air enter the stomach and cause gastric distension. If gastric distension has already occurred, press down on the upper middle abdomen with your hand while blowing air.

Artificial respiration is often performed simultaneously with cardiac massage, with one breath given for every five chest compressions.

If one person operates at the same time, after every 10 to 15 massages, blow air twice in quick succession.

While performing the above first aid steps, call for help from the hospital or emergency center. Alternatively, these first aid measures can be performed en route to the hospital or emergency center. Time is of the essence, and the earlier cardiopulmonary function is revived, the higher the success rate of treatment.