Prevention of Infection in Patients With Cancer

Factors influencing infection prevention self-care behaviors in patients with hematologic cancer after discharge

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to investigate the conditions and influencing factors behind infection prevention self-care behaviors performed at home by hematologic cancer patients with a central venous catheter inserted before hospital discharge, and to identify additional external factors influencing these self-care behaviors.

METHODS

This is a descriptive survey study conducted with 147 patients with hematologic cancer who were hospitalized and re-admitted to a university hospital in Korea. Infection prevention self-care behaviors, knowledge, and family support were measured using scales developed through a preliminary survey and validity testing.

RESULTS

The score for infection prevention self-care behaviors was 3.67 ± 0.81 (out of 5), knowledge was 68.8 ± 18.2 (out of 100), and family support was 4.21 ± 2.14 (out of 7). Infection prevention self-care knowledge (β = 0.443, p < 0.001) and economic status (β = 2.102, p = 0.05) both had a significant effect on infection prevention self-care behaviors. The total explanatory power for infection prevention self-care behaviors by two variables was 37.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

Infection prevention self-care behaviors were found to be significantly affected by infection prevention self-care knowledge and economic status. Developing and applying effective educational programs to improve infection prevention self-care knowledge will increase self-care behaviors. Additionally, nursing interventions should assess patients' economic status, their performance of oral care and knowledge of central venous catheter management.

Managing patients with indolent lymphoma treated with bendamustine: a nursing perspective

Indolent lymphoma is one of the most frequently occurring subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Indolent NHL has a long natural history, and patients will likely receive multiple therapies during the course of their disease. Treatment options are rapidly evolving and, because oncology nurses play a major role in managing patients undergoing treatment for indolent NHL, they need to be aware of the potential adverse effects associated with new therapies that may affect patients in their care. One such agent is bendamustine, which was approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration in 2008 for the treatment of relapsed indolent NHL. Oncology nurses are increasingly likely to encounter bendamustine either as monotherapy or in combination with rituximab. Bendamustine is a hybrid agent with both alkylating and purine analog properties, produces a high response rate in patients with indolent NHL, and has manageable side effects that include immunosuppression, gastrointestinal toxicity, and fatigue. Oncology nurses should be familiar with the common side effects so as to provide enhanced care for the patient receiving this agent. This article reviews the safety profile of bendamustine and discusses the implications from a nursing perspective.

Tendências da produção do conhecimento de enfermagem no controle de infecção em oncologia

Os clientes com câncer apresentam complicações significativas de morbi-mortalidade relacionadas à infecção. Esta revisão integrativa tem como objetivo analisar a produção científica da enfermagem acerca do controle de infecções nos clientes com câncer. A busca dos 37 artigos incluídos foi por meio eletrônico em bases de dados, no período de 2002 a 2009. Os dados foram analisados na perspectiva da Metodologia de Categorização Epistemológica para a Pesquisa na Enfermagem. Os resultados indicam que a produção é internacional, mais setorizada na área da oncologia clínica, com ênfase nos clientes como sujeitos das investigações, tendência exógena da origem da infecção e prevalência de artigos de revisão de literatura. Conclui-se que a produção do conhecimento no controle de infecção é prioridade no cenário nacional, as ações devem ser baseadas numa visão sistêmica, considerando a complexidade que envolve os profissionais na prestação do cuidado de enfermagem.

Surgical treatment of patients with peritoneal surface malignancy: cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy

A peritoneal surface malignancy is one of an assortment of tumors that result in widespread peritoneal involvement, can affect multiple organs, and may arise from the appendix, colon, rectum, stomach, ovaries, or peritoneal lining. The combined treatment modality of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy has gained recognition as a promising, potentially life-extending surgical treatment option for the management of peritoneal surface malignancies. This type of surgical treatment is not without risks and complications, often resulting in the formation of fistulas and the need for a diverting ostomy. This article presents a review of peritoneal surface malignancies, cytoreductive surgery, the perioperative management of the surgical patient with focus on complications and implications for the WOC nurse providing care for patients undergoing this complex surgical treatment.