摘要:

&NA;Liver cancer is one of the ten most common cancers in the world with a pronounced geographic variation. The incidence of hepatocellular cancer is low in the Western countries compared to the high prevalence in South Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Risk factors, early signs and symptoms, and the strategies for early detection are discussed. Primary prevention involves conducting mass immunization for hepatitis B virus in endemic countries along with education programs to improve food hygiene, decreasing alcohol intake, using sterile implements for immunizations and injections, smoking cessation, avoiding unnecessary blood transfusions and screening of blood for transfusions.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1991

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

&NA;The septic syndrome has three phases, characterized by alterations in tissue perfusion (phase I), fluid volume (phase II), and cardiac output (phase III). It must be viewed as a continuum: the degree of illness and the rate of mortality increase with each stage. Each phase must be clearly understood by health‐care professionals for them to be able to intervene actively to prevent a patient's progressive deterioration. Since the septic syndrome frequently cannot be treated effectively in the advanced stage, the nurse's role must focus on early detection of infection, thorough evaluation of all the parameters, and expeditious initiation of treatment in collaboration with the physician. The high mortality of cancer patients who develop septic shock is an incentive for nurse and physician to work together to prevent this serious condition and provide maximum support if it should occur. The nurse's ability to make critical judgments derived from a knowledgeable assessment of clinical data can positively influence the outcome. The timeliness of the nursing intervention may determine the patient's fate.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1991

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

&NA;Fatigue, a universally reported symptom, may be one of the most prevalent feelings of people suffering physical or mental diseases. An understanding of the factors leading to fatigue in the caregiving population can contribute to better care and support of both the cancer patient and caregiver. The purpose of this article is to investigate and describe the experience of fatigue among caregivers of cancer patients, in relation to caregiver age, employment status, number of hours of care provided daily, duration of caregiving, and the impact upon the caregiver's schedule. A sample of 248 caregivers of cancer patients, participating in the Family Homecare Cancer Study, were surveyed regarding fatigue related to their caregiving roles. No relationship was found between severity of fatigue experienced by the caregiver of the cancer patient and caregiver age, employment status, the number of hours of daily caregiving, or the duration of caregiving. However, a significant relationship was found between fatigue and the impact of care on the daily schedule. This finding has strong implications for the oncology nurse, because the more the caregiver's schedule is a burden, the greater will be the fatigue experienced.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1991

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

&NA;Fatigue is a commonly experienced symptom, which may be a component of virtually any disease and can have a psychological, physical, or mixed origin. Nurses need to understand the onset, duration, and progression of fatigue to intervene successfully with the cancer patient adapting to diagnosis and treatment. While the literature is an important source of information, results of research studies must be critically interpreted before proceeding with practice guidelines based on research findings. A critical appraisal of the research literature investigating the problem of fatigue in individuals with cancer was conducted. There is strong evidence to suggest that fatigue is a prevalent problem among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However past research has been limited by methodological problems. Typically, studies fail to include a control group, do not control for possible confounding variables, and have restricted measurement to unidimensional scales with limited reliability and validity. While several correlates of fatigue have been postulated, research to date has found no consistent relationships among such correlates as weight loss, anemia, or psychological distress. This article reviews what is currently known about fatigue in the cancer patient and how future research could be designed to improve on past measurement and sampling problems.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1991

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

&NA;This study examines the support received by spouse‐caregivers of cancer patients with minor children. The pattern of help encountered by these caregivers is compared to that of other caregivers, either living alone with the cancer patient or together with their adult children. This comparison leads to an exploration of compensatory support patterns depending on the source of help and the living arrangements. The study is based on a convenience sample of 232 spouse‐caregivers of cancer patients in the Midwest. The findings suggest that other family members are willing to provide additional support when minor children are present in the household of the caregiver—patient dyad. However, this compensatory pattern does not extend to the situation of caregiver and patient living alone, nor do friends and neighbors engage in compensatory support behavior.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1991

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

&NA;More than 139,000 cases of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control. Many of these individuals will develop malignancies, such as Kaposi's sarcoma and malignant lymphoma. Because of the neoplastic complications of AIDS and the terminal nature of this disease, some centers employ oncology clinical nurse specialists to coordinate the care of patients. This study was designed to determine the extent to which master's‐prepared oncology nurses care for patients with AIDS in the United States, the type of care these nurses provide, their sources of AIDS‐related information, and the risks they perceive in caring for patients with AIDS. This information will guide educators to develop graduate curricula and continuing education programs that include useful information on the care of patients with AIDS. These results will also direct administrators to consider extra stressors imposed on the master's‐prepared oncology nurse who also cares for those with AIDS.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1991

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

&NA;A continuous scoring strategy yielding a proficiency score on breast self‐examination (BSE) performance was developed and validated. The method of paired comparisons was used to provide a rank ordering on an interval scale of the eight components of the evaluation tool. Twenty‐one experts in teaching the MammaCare method of breast self‐examination participated in the survey to help in developing the composite measure of proficiency in BSE performance. Data on each component of BSE were collected quantitatively, and performance scores were computed using a formula incorporating the weighting schema derived from the paired comparisons procedure. A comparison of preteaching versus postteaching mean performance scores on BSE indicated that the scoring system worked even when the teaching method varied. The scoring system presented here is a start on the development of a tool that can be useful to researchers using relative performance as a measure in BSE studies. The components of the scoring system can be used by nurses in the practice setting as a checklist for evaluating BSE performance.

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1991

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1991

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0162-220X    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1991

数据来源: OVID