A WORKING DAY OF A DISTRICT DOCTOR

Some days ago George was on duty at the polyclinic, which is on Svoboda Street. There he got acquainted with doctor Ivanov, a district doctor. He is an experienced therapeutist working in his field for more than ten years. It was useful to George to be present at the examination and watch some of his cases.

Dr. Ivanov’s working day begins at nine o’clock in the morning at the polyclinic, where he sees about ten or sometimes even 15 out-patients during his consulting hours. In the afternoon he usually makes his daily round of visits to the district. He examines all those patients who are seriously ill and can’t come to the polyclinic. These patients must follow a strict bed regime.

That day the first patient was the man who said that he felt rotten. Indeed this patient was in a poor condition: his face and hands were damp with sweat, his pulse was accelerated and faint. He was running a high temperature. The doctor asked him to lie down on the couch and began questioning him thoroughly. Making the physical examination the doctor applied a stethoscope to the patient’s chest and listened to his lungs and heart. The patient’s respiration was accelerated and turned out to be 30 per minute. Some moist rales could be heard. Dr. Ivanov made the diagnosis of lobar pneumonia and said that the patient had to be admitted to the hospital. It was necessary to arrest the process in his lungs immediately to avoid complications.

A woman of about 45 entered Dr. Ivanov’s consulting room next. She complained of a sore throat and a bad pain in her back, so that she couldn’t sleep.

“Well, the doctor said, let me have a look at your throat. I see, there is a bad inflammation. Is it hard to swallow?” When the doctor examined her thoroughly it turned out that the woman suffered from quinzy. He prescribed to her an antiseptic mouth –wash with which she had to gargle her throat five or six times a day. The doctor said it would give her instant relief. As her condition was rather bad the doctor put her on a sick leave for several days. A nurse had to come to her place to give her penicillin injections. When the patient was better she had to undergo a five day course of physiotherapy. The doctor also advised her to apply mastard plasters every other day before going to bed.

The next patient complained of a sharp pain in the stomach. The doctor examined his stomach and made the initial diagnosis of the ulcer of the stomach. But to be sure in his diagnosis the doctor directed the patient to be X-rayed. He prescribed the patient a light diet. The patient had to take the prescribed tablets before meals to relieve the pain.

After his consulting hours at the polyclinic Dr. Ivanov and George made several calls. He was called to the patients whom he had visited before. One of the patients was ill with lobar pneumonia, the other suffered from angina pectoris.

First they visited the patient ill with angina pectoris. Before examining the patient doctor Ivanov washed his hands, put on his white gown and only then entered the room where the patient was lying. The doctor asked the patient: “How are you feeling today? Do you feel any pain in the chest?” The doctor was eager to know if the medicine, which the patient was taking, relieved the pain.

Unfortunately, the patient couldn’t say that the medicine gave him any relief. The pain in the substernal area was particularly sharp on physical exertion. Dr. Ivanov asked the patient to strip to the waist, listened to his heart and lungs, took his blood pressure, felt his pulse and palpated his abdomen. After five days of home treatment the patient did not feel any relief, and the doctor decided to hospitalize him.

Then they visited the patient ill with lobar pneumonia. This patient was recovering: he felt better and was cheerful. He thanked the doctor for his kind attention and care. As the condition of the recovering patient was rather good the doctor advised him to be out in the open air as much as possible, to start morning exercises again, to have rubdowns and by and by begin going in for sports.

George saw that doctor Ivanov dealt with every case carefully and attentively and tried to calm those who were excited. In some cases his words seemed to act better than medicines, it’s no wonder that all his patients love and respect doctor Ivanov.

A Working Day of a District Doctor

A district doctor plays a very important role in the healthcare system. He examines patients, diagnoses different diseases, prescribes treatment, and visits seriously ill people at home. His work requires extensive medical knowledge, practical experience, patience, and a responsible attitude towards patients.

The text describes a working day of Dr. Ivanov, an experienced therapeutist who has been working in his field for more than ten years. He works at a polyclinic situated in Svoboda Street. One day George, a medical student, had an opportunity to accompany Dr. Ivanov, observe his work, and learn how a district doctor examines and treats patients.

Dr. Ivanov’s working day begins at nine o’clock in the morning. During his consulting hours at the polyclinic, he usually examines about ten to fifteen out-patients. He listens carefully to their complaints, asks questions about their symptoms, performs physical examinations, establishes diagnoses, and prescribes appropriate treatment. In the afternoon, he makes his daily round of visits to patients who are too seriously ill to come to the polyclinic. Such patients usually have to stay in bed and follow a strict bed regime.

On the day described in the text, the first patient was a man who complained that he felt extremely unwell. His condition was rather serious. His face and hands were covered with sweat, his pulse was accelerated and weak, and he had a high temperature. Dr. Ivanov asked the patient to lie down on the examination couch and questioned him thoroughly about his symptoms.

During the physical examination, the doctor used a stethoscope to listen to the patient's heart and lungs. The patient's respiration was accelerated and reached thirty breaths per minute. The doctor also heard moist rales in his lungs. After examining the man, Dr. Ivanov diagnosed lobar pneumonia. He decided that the patient had to be admitted to the hospital immediately because it was necessary to stop the inflammatory process in his lungs and prevent serious complications.

The next patient was a woman of about forty-five. She complained of a severe sore throat and a bad pain in her back, which prevented her from sleeping properly. Dr. Ivanov examined her throat and discovered a considerable inflammation. He also asked whether she had difficulty swallowing. After a thorough examination, the doctor diagnosed quinsy.

According to the text, Dr. Ivanov prescribed an antiseptic mouthwash and instructed the woman to gargle her throat five or six times a day. He expected this treatment to relieve her symptoms. As her condition was rather serious, he gave her several days of sick leave. A nurse was supposed to visit her at home to administer penicillin injections. After her condition improved, she was to undergo a five-day course of physiotherapy. The doctor also advised her to apply mustard plasters every other day before going to bed. These recommendations reflect the medical practices described in the original passage rather than necessarily representing modern treatment standards.

The third patient complained of a sharp pain in his stomach. Dr. Ivanov carefully examined his abdomen and made a preliminary diagnosis of a gastric ulcer. However, he wanted to confirm his diagnosis and therefore directed the patient to undergo an X-ray examination. He also prescribed a light diet and tablets that the patient had to take before meals to relieve the pain.

After finishing his consulting hours at the polyclinic, Dr. Ivanov continued his work by visiting patients at home. George accompanied him during these visits. The doctor was called to see several patients whom he had already examined before. Home visits were an essential part of his responsibilities because some patients were unable to leave their beds or travel to the polyclinic because of their serious condition.

Throughout the day, George had an excellent opportunity to observe how an experienced district doctor works. He saw how Dr. Ivanov communicated with patients, collected information about their complaints, performed physical examinations, recognized symptoms, made diagnoses, and selected treatment methods. He also learned that a district doctor must pay close attention to every patient and act quickly when a serious illness is suspected.

The text demonstrates that the working day of a district doctor is long, busy, and demanding. His responsibilities are not limited to examining patients at the polyclinic. He must also make home visits, monitor the condition of seriously ill people, prevent complications, and decide when hospitalization is necessary.

In conclusion, Dr. Ivanov is presented as a knowledgeable, experienced, attentive, and responsible physician who devotes his working day to helping sick people. His example shows that the profession of a district doctor requires not only professional medical skills but also compassion, dedication, and a genuine desire to help patients recover.