Putting evidence into practice: evidence-based interventions for the prevention and management of constipation in patients with cancer.
Constipation is a major source of distress for patients with cancer, significantly affecting quality of life. It can be secondary to disease sequelae, side effects of treatment, or preexisting conditions. It often is unrecognized, underassessed, and ineffectively managed. Nurses play a key role in the prevention and management of constipation and need evidence-based interventions. This article summarizes the existing research evidence for constipation interventions and identifies gaps. Many of the strategies have been evaluated in nononcology populations; researchers should evaluate their effectiveness in oncology populations.
Woolery
Myra
M
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. mwoolery@cc.nih.gov
Bisanz
Annette
A
Lyons
Hannah F
HF
Gaido
Lindsay
L
Yenulevich
Mary
M
Fulton
Stephanie
S
McMillan
Susan C
SC
D015984:Causality; D003248:Constipation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D054368:Laxatives / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012107:Research Design
D004043:Dietary Fiber; D054368:Laxatives