A Study on Vascular Pain Due to Gemcitabine and According to Clinical Factors

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was performed to examine vascular pain due to gemcitabine and according to clinical factors. METHODS: The survey was performed with 525 cancer patients visiting chemotherapy infusion room in one general hospital. The data were collected via self-reported questionnaire, researchers observation, and reviewing medical records. Data were analyzed descriptive statistics, t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Tukey test using ranks, Jonckheere-Terpstra test, and Spearman correlation analysis were used. RESULTS: The mean scores of the intensity and onset time of vascular pain were 3.06+/-2.16 and 8.13+/-13.13 min, and each other were negative correlaton. Degree of intensity of vascular pain had a significant difference on gender (p=.003), age (p=.004), weight (p=.019), Body mass index (BMI) (p=.005), Body surface area (BSA) (p=.030), infusion time (p<.001), dose (p=.027), dose per minute (p<.001), the number of administered gemcitabine (p=.005), combination chemotherapeutic drug (p=.013) and tumor type (p=.002). Degree of onset time of vascular pain had a significant difference on infusion time (p=.044), combination chemotherapy (p=.001) and injection site (p=.001). CONCLUSION: Patients administrated gemcitabine were experiencing various vascular pain, and vascular pain had a difference on clinical factors. Therefore, oncology nurses should be considered significant clinical factors to implement effective interventions to patients administered gemcitabine.