A nurse's handbook of obstetrics, for use in training-schools . ally. If the patient survives the attack, the body temperature mustbe kept up by the use of hot-water bottles, absolute rest en-joined, and a light, nourishing diet given, in the hope that shecan be kept alive until the clot is absorbed. The only obstetric emergency that can affect the child afterits birth is secondary hemorrhage from the navel or cord. If the blood escapes through the vessels of the cord beforeit has separated from the body, a fresh ligature is to be appliedand tied tightly and carefully. If the blood comes from
A nurse's handbook of obstetrics, for use in training-schools . ally. If the patient survives the attack, the body temperature mustbe kept up by the use of hot-water bottles, absolute rest en-joined, and a light, nourishing diet given, in the hope that shecan be kept alive until the clot is absorbed. The only obstetric emergency that can affect the child afterits birth is secondary hemorrhage from the navel or cord. If the blood escapes through the vessels of the cord beforeit has separated from the body, a fresh ligature is to be appliedand tied tightly and carefully. If the blood comes from the navel itself at the base of thecord, either before or after its separation, it can usually becontrolled by firm pressure with hot compresses (no° F.) untilthe arrival of the physician. The treatment which he will prob-ably adopt if the hemorrhage is severe and continues for a longtime is to transfix the base of the navel with two long needlesinserted at right angles to each other and compress the vesselsagainst them with a tight figure-of-eight Fig 112.—Figure-of-eight ligature. For controlling secondary hemorrhage from the umbilicus. In rare cases, where no physician can be secured, the nursemay have to do this herself. Every antiseptic precaution is tobe faithfully observed, and the needles (darning needles willanswer) and silk or bobbin tape must be boiled. The navel is to be pinched up with the thumb and forefingerand a needle thrust through its base from side to side at a UMBILICAL HEMORRHAGE. 223 depth of about one quarter of an inch. The second needle isthen to be inserted in the same manner, at right angles to thefirst, and the ligature passed tightly over the ends in figure-of-eight loops and drawn up until every vestige of bleeding, oreven oozing, has ceased (Fig. 112). The needles may be re-moved at the end of six or eight hours, but the ligature shouldbe allowed to remain and come off when it will. The dressings should be changed daily and the most
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