Pain relief has
evolved significantly over the centuries. Early methods included acupuncture, a
traditional Chinese practice using needles to stimulate specific points on the
body, believed to balance energy and alleviate pain. Aromatherapy utilizes essential
oils for therapeutic effects, promoting relaxation and reducing discomfort.
Heat packs have
long been used to soothe sore muscles, while massage therapy, an ancient
technique, helps relieve tension and enhance circulation. The term analgesia
refers to the absence of pain, achieved through various means, including
medications.
In modern
medicine, a syringe driver administers continuous doses of pain relief
medications, ensuring consistent management for chronic pain sufferers.
Together, these methods highlight the rich history and diverse approaches to
alleviating pain throughout time.
Modal verbs can, could, may, might, must and have to to talk about abilities, speculations, deductions and obligations; ask for permission, and make requests
Modal Verb
Function or use
Example
Can
Present abilities
I can speak English.
Present permission
Can I go to the loo?
Present possibility or speculation
My mother can get back home at any time.
Could
Its negative couldn’t is used for the opposite sense in the possible cases.
Past ability
I could rollerskate when I was 12.
Past Permission
They could spend what it was allowed according to their budget.
Present or past possibility
They could go to the cinema.
Present request
Could you bring me a cup of tea?
May
Present permission
May I come in?
Present possibility or speculation
It may rain today because of the gray clouds.
Might
Present possibility or speculation
It might rain today.
Must
Present probability or deduction.
Studying nursing must be tough
Present weak or imposed obligation by the speaker
You must attend all your English lessons.
Can’t
Present strong restriction
You can’t smoke at school.
Present negative probability or strong deduction.
It can’t be real what is shown in the Mexican soap operas.
Mustn’t
Present weak restriction
You mustn’t use your mobile when the teacher is explaining.
Present negative probability or weak deduction.
Susan mustn’t be at home because it’s her work time.
Have to
Present strong or non-imposed obligation by the speaker.
You have to attend at least the 80% of the period lessons.
Probability and deduction: They mean we are sure or certain about something.
Possibility and speculation: They mean we are unsure or uncertain about something.
Collaborative online exercise about the use of the modal verbs can, could, may, and might
Silvia Pinal, the iconic Mexican actress, has made headlines by expressing her desire to be the first person in Mexico to undergo euthanasia. Citing her struggles with health and the challenges of aging, Pinal advocates for personal autonomy and the right to die with dignity. Her request has ignited a national debate on euthanasia, a contentious issue in Mexico, where legal frameworks vary by state. Supporters view her case as a pivotal moment for reform, while opponents raise ethical concerns. Pinal’s courageous stance underscores the urgent need for compassionate policies regarding end-of-life choices in the country.
Individual online exercise about the use of the modal verbs can, could, may, and might
Write in teams at least 8 guidelines using the modal verbs when talking to a terminally ill patient who has... before going to a treatment or therapy. Don't forget to include the disease and the treatment or therapy.
What do you think that is the difference between hospital and hospice?
Video about what is hospice care
In accordance with the BMJ (British Medical Journal), traditional medicine distinguishes between sickness that is curable and sickness that is incurable. A curable sickness is treated in a hospital with curative care; while an incurable sickness is treated in a hospice with palliative care. For example, a curable sickness, such as pneumonia, is treated in a hospital with antibiotics, fluids, and bed rest; while an incurable sickness, such as metastatic cancer, is treated in a hospice with pain medicine and tranquilizers, but no anti-cancer drugs. Curative care is designed to fight sickness, while palliative care is designed to make patients more comfortable. This distinction between curative care and palliative care is somewhat misleading, because both rely on pharmaceuticals, and both ignore the relationship between diet and health. Regardless of whether a sickness is curable or incurable, physicians must promote health and not simply treat symptoms with pharmaceuticals.
The terms illness and sickness are both generally used as synonyms for disease; however, the term illness is occasionally used to refer specifically to the patient's personal experience of his or her disease. In this model, it is possible for a person to have a disease without being ill (to have an objectively definable, but asymptomatic, medical condition, such as a subclinical infection, or to have a clinically apparent physical impairment but not feel sick or distressed by it), and to be ill without being diseased (such as when a person perceives a normal experience as a medical condition, or medicalizes a non-disease situation in his or her life – for example, a person who feels unwell as a result of embarrassment, and who interprets those feelings as sickness rather than normal emotions). Symptoms of illness are often not directly the result of infection, but a collection of evolved responses – sickness behaviour by the body – that helps clear infection and promote recovery. Such aspects of illness can include lethargy, depression, loss of appetite, sleepiness, hyperalgesia, and inability to concentrate.
The term disease broadly refers to any condition that impairs the normal functioning of the body. For this reason, diseases are associated with the dysfunction of the body's normal homeostatic processes. Commonly, the term is used to refer specifically to infectious diseases, which are clinically evident diseases that result from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular organisms, and aberrant proteins known as prions. An infection or colonization that does not and will not produce clinically evident impairment of normal functioning, such as the presence of the normal bacteria and yeasts in the gut, or of a passenger virus is not considered a disease. By contrast, an infection that is asymptomatic during its incubation period, but expected to produce symptoms later, is usually considered a disease. Non infectious diseases are all other diseases, including most forms of cancer, heart disease, and genetic disease
1.- Acquired disease.- It is one that began at some point during one's lifetime, as opposed to disease that was already present at birth, which is congenital disease. Acquired sounds like it could mean "caught via contagion", but it simply means acquired sometime after birth. It also sounds like it could imply secondary disease, but acquired disease can be primary disease.
2.- Acute disease.- It is one of a short-term nature; the term sometimes also connotes a fulminant nature
3.- Chronic condition or chronic disease.- It is one that persists over time, often characterized as at least six months but may also include illnesses that are expected to last for the entirety of one's natural life.
5.- Genetic disease.- It is caused by one or more genetic mutations. It is often inherited, but some mutations are random and de novo.
6.- Hereditary or inherited disease.- It is a type of genetic disease caused by genetic mutations that are hereditary (and can run in families)
7.- Iatrogenic disease.- It is one that is caused by medical intervention, whether as a side effect of a treatment or as an inadvertent outcome.
8.- Idiopathic disease.- It has an unknown cause or source. As medical science has advanced, many diseases with entirely unknown causes have had some aspects of their sources explained and therefore shed their idiopathic status. For example, when germs were discovered, it became known that they were a cause of infection, but particular germs and diseases had not been linked.
9.- Incurable disease.- A disease that cannot be cured. Incurable diseases are not necessarily terminal illnesses, and sometimes a disease's symptoms can be treated sufficiently for the disease to have little or no impact on quality of life.
10.- Primary disease.- It is a disease that is due to a root cause of illness, as opposed to secondary disease, which is a sequela, or complication that is caused by the primary disease. For example, a common cold is a primary disease, where rhinitis is a possible secondary disease, or sequela. A doctor must determine what primary disease, a cold or bacterial infection, is causing a patient's secondary rhinitis when deciding whether or not to prescribe antibiotics.
11.- Secondary disease.- It is a disease that is a sequela or complication of a prior, causal disease, which is referred to as the primary disease or simply the underlying cause (root cause). For example, a bacterial infection can be primary, wherein a healthy person is exposed to a bacteria and becomes infected, or it can be secondary to a primary cause, that predisposes the body to infection.
12.- Terminal disease.- A terminal disease is one that is expected to have the inevitable result of death. Previously, AIDS was a terminal disease; it is now incurable, but can be managed indefinitely using medications.
The follow-up of a patient with an IV infusion treatment
In a bustling
hospital, a patient lies in bed, receiving vital care through an IV line
connected to an IV cannula. This small tube is expertly placed to deliver
medications and fluids directly into their bloodstream, ensuring rapid
absorption and effectiveness.
Nearby, an IV
pole stands tall, supporting the IV solution that flows steadily through the IV
line. The patient can feel a sense of relief as the necessary fluids are
administered, aiding in their recovery.
Nurses
meticulously monitor the IV infusion pump, which regulates the rate of the IV
solution, adjusting it as needed to meet the patient's specific requirements.
This careful management is crucial for their overall health.
To ensure
optimal care, the medical team regularly updates the Fluid Balance chart,
tracking the patient’s intake and output. This systematic approach helps
maintain proper hydration and electrolyte balance, playing a pivotal role in
the healing process.
Before we start, the healthcare provider will review the
patient’s medical history and hydration needs, explaining the procedure and
answering any questions to ensure the patient is comfortable.
First, the provider will gather all the necessary supplies,
including the IV catheter, saline solution, and any additional electrolytes
that may be needed for hydration.
Next, the provider will identify a suitable vein, usually in the
arm, and clean the area with an antiseptic to minimize the risk of infection.
They will then insert the IV catheter into the vein.
After that, the IV line will be connected to the hydration bag,
which contains the saline solution. The flow rate will be adjusted based on the
patient's specific hydration requirements.
Then, the provider will monitor the patient throughout the
therapy to ensure the IV is functioning properly and that the patient is
responding well to the hydration.
The last thing, once the hydration therapy is complete, the
provider will carefully remove the IV catheter, apply a bandage to the
insertion site, and give the patient any necessary aftercare instructions.
Number 8 refers to the initials of the nurses who put up the IV infusion.
Number 10 refers to the amount of IV solution which runs every hour.
Statements with relative clauses
Number 8 refers to the initials of the nurses. The nurses
put up the IV infusion.
Number 8 refers to the initials of the nurses who put
up the IV infusion.
Number 10 refers to the amount of IV solution. The IV
solution runs every hour.
Number 10 refers to the amount of IV solution which runs
every hour.
Relative clauses:
who put up the IV infusion.
which runs every hour.
Relative Clauses
We can use relative clauses to join two English sentences, or to give more information about something.
I bought a new car. It is very fast. → I bought a new car that is very fast.
She lives in New York. She likes living in New York. → She lives in New York, which she likes.
Defining and Non-defining
A defining relative clause tells which noun we are talking about:
I like the woman who lives next door. (If I don't say 'who lives next door', then we don't know which woman I mean).
A non-defining relative clause gives us extra information about something. We don't need this information to understand the sentence.
I live in London, which has some fantastic parks. (Everybody knows where London is, so 'which has some fantastic parks' is extra information).
Defining relative clauses:
1: The relative pronoun is the subject:
First, let's consider when the relative pronoun is the subject of a defining relative clause.
We can use 'who', 'which' or 'that'. We use 'who' for people and 'which' for things. We can use 'that' for people or things.
The relative clause can come after the subject or the object of the sentence. We can't drop the relative pronoun.
For example (clause after the object of the sentence):
I'm looking for a secretary who / that can use a computer well.
She has a son who / that is a doctor.
We bought a house which / that is 200 years old.
I sent a letter which / that arrived three weeks later.
More examples (clause after the subject of the sentence):
The people who / that live on the island are very friendly.
The man who / that phoned is my brother.
The camera which / that costs £100 is over there.
The house which / that belongs to Julie is in London.
2: The relative pronoun is the object:
Next, let's talk about when the relative pronoun is the object of the clause. In this case we can drop the relative pronoun if we want to. Again, the clause can come after the subject or the object of the sentence. Here are some examples:
(Clause after the object)
She loves the chocolate (which / that) I bought.
We went to the village (which / that) Lucy recommended.
John met a woman (who / that) I had been to school with.
The police arrested a man (who / that) Jill worked with.
(Clause after the subject)
The bike (which / that) I loved was stolen.
The university (which / that) she likes is famous.
The woman (who / that) my brother loves is from Mexico.
The doctor (who / that) my grandmother liked lives in New York.
Non-defining relative clauses:
We don't use 'that' in non-defining relative clauses, so we need to use 'which' if the pronoun refers to a thing, and 'who' if it refers to a person. We can't drop the relative pronoun in this kind of clause, even if the relative pronoun is the object of the clause.
(Clause comes after the subject)
My boss, who is very nice, lives in Manchester.
My sister, who I live with, knows a lot about cars.
My bicycle, which I've had for more than ten years, is falling apart.
My mother's house, which I grew up in, is very small.
(Clause comes after the object)
Yesterday I called our friend Julie, who lives in New York.
The photographer called to the Queen, who looked annoyed.
Last week I bought a new computer, which I don't like now.
I really love the new Chinese restaurant, which we went to last night.
Prepositions and relative clauses
If the verb in the relative clause needs a preposition, we put it at the end of the clause:
For example:
listen to
The music is good. Julie listens to the music. → The music (which / that) Julie listens to is good.
work with
My brother met a woman. I used to work with the woman. → My brother met a woman (who / that) I used to work with.
go to
The country is very hot. He went to the country. → The country (which / that) he went to is very hot.
come from
I visited the city. John comes from the city. → I visited the city (that / which) John comes from.
apply for
The job is well paid. She applied for the job. → The job (which / that) she applied for is well paid.
Collaborative Online Exercise about who or which as relative pronouns
