Nurses' repeat measurement of chemotherapy symptoms: feasibility, resulting information, patient satisfaction.
The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of a repeated measurement of 5 major side effects (pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and fatigue) experienced by patients during an entire course of chemotherapy. Forty-nine inpatients receiving intravenous chemotherapy in the Medical Oncology Department of the Institut Paoli-Calmettes (Marseilles, France) were included in the study. At the study entry and every 12 hours from beginning of chemotherapy course, nurses assessed symptoms using Visual Analogic Scales (except for vomiting measured in number of episodes). Patients' pretreatment characteristics and their degree of satisfaction with nursing assessment were also recorded. The mean number of symptom measures was 2.9 in courses of less than 3 days, 5.4 in courses of 3 days, and 7.5 in courses of more than 3 days. Symptom patterns varied according to length of course. Furthermore, patients' pretreatment characteristics (age, sex, marital status, education level, type of cancer) had an impact on symptom scores at baseline and during treatment. About 80% of patients judged the nursing assessment as not constraining and 55% considered that its impact on their care was positive. This study demonstrates that repeated measurement of chemotherapy side effects was feasible and provide useful information for symptom management that might increase patient treatment satisfaction.
Braud
Anne-Chantal
AC
Medical Oncology Department, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseilles, France. oncomed@marseille.fnclcc.fr
Genre
Dominique
D
Leto
Christine
C
Nemer
Vanessa
V
Cailhol
Jean-François
JF
Macquart-Moulin
Geneviève
G
Maraninchi
Dominique
D
Viens
Patrice
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D009859:Oncology Nursing; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents