Chlorine is used for treatment of?

IGNOU Post B. SC. Nursing entrance -2021

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: IGNOU Post B. SC. Nursing entrance -2021

Explanation

Chlorine is a powerful and widely used chemical disinfectant for water treatment.
The process, known as chlorination, aims to kill or inactivate harmful microorganisms (pathogens) in water, making it safe to drink.
This is a fundamental public health measure to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.
The effectiveness of chlorine depends on factors like water temperature, pH, purity, and contact time.

Option A: Diarrhoea is a symptom or disease, often caused by consuming contaminated water. Chlorine is not a medication to treat a person with diarrhoea.
Option C: Dehydration is a condition resulting from excessive loss of body fluids. It is often a consequence of diarrhoea. The treatment for dehydration is fluid and electrolyte replacement (e.g., Oral Rehydration Solution - ORS), not chlorine.
Option D: Typhoid fever is a serious waterborne bacterial infection. While chlorinating water is a critical method to PREVENT typhoid fever, it is not the treatment for a person already infected. Infected individuals require antibiotics.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Water Purification and Disinfection helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses are key educators in community health. They must teach families about safe water practices, such as boiling or chlorination, to prevent diseases, especially in areas with questionable water quality.
In disaster management and emergency relief, ensuring a safe water supply is a top priority. Nurses often supervise emergency water disinfection procedures using chlorine.
A nurse should know how to calculate the correct chlorine dosage for a given volume of water and the importance of maintaining residual chlorine to prevent recontamination.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core subject of the question: 'Chlorine'.
Recall the primary public health application of chlorine. It is most famously known as a disinfectant.
Examine the options provided. 'Water' is a substance, while 'Diarrhoea', 'Dehydration', and 'Typhoid fever' are medical conditions or diseases.
Establish the relationship between the subject and the options. Chlorine acts on water to make it safe. This action, in turn, prevents conditions like diarrhoea and typhoid fever.
Therefore, the most direct and primary 'treatment' chlorine is used for is the water itself.
Select the option that represents the substance being acted upon, not the secondary effects or diseases being prevented.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart A (pp 26-201 of 604) p. 128-130

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart B (pp 233-449 of 464) pp. 32-34, 31-33