The Burn Victim.
What happened?
In South Africa, general nurse education is a four-year program.
The training involves rotation in nursing care, medical, surgical, pediatric, infectious diseases, & operating room.
The story is about a lady named Stella in the burn unit. She suffered second and third-degree burns to her neck, chest, part of her abdomen, & thighs.
She was a patient in the ward/burn unit at the local hospital where I worked.
Talk about excruciating pain! Lordy! Stella lived on I.V. Morphine.
And thirst, Wow! a nurse had to give her fluids via a straw every hour. She lay on her back under a wagon-tent cover, so linens would not touch her skin.
Her diet consisted of high protein drinks, fruit juices, and water—intravenous fluids & antibiotics scheduled around the clock.
The lady moaned & cried out at times day and night. It was pathetic.
Raw burn areas had moist sterile dressings—later debridement, followed by skin grafts in the operating room.
Despite precautions to prevent infection, the chest wounds became infected.
The maggot treatment for slough in the fourth week was sheer penance. Stella screamed with horror to get the creepy crawlies off her chest…
