ABSTRACT
Bowel obstruction is a serious problem requiring prompt medical intervention to relieve intestinal distention, restore intravascular volume, and correct fluid and electrolyte balance. If these efforts fail, either curative or palliative surgical interventions become necessary. Oncology nurses are important members of the healthcare team caring for patients with bowel obstructions. Accurate nursing assessments are critical to monitoring the effects of these therapies and key to reducing the risk of preoperative and/or postoperative complications.
Subject(s)
Colonic Diseases/diagnosis , Intestinal Obstruction/diagnosis , Colonic Diseases/etiology , Colonic Diseases/nursing , Colonic Diseases/physiopathology , Colonic Diseases/therapy , Female , Humans , Intestinal Obstruction/etiology , Intestinal Obstruction/nursing , Intestinal Obstruction/physiopathology , Intestinal Obstruction/therapy , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Cancer of the pancreas is the fourth most common malignancy-induced cause of death in the United States. For patients with small primary tumors, surgery may produce long-term survival. However, because most patients are not diagnosed early, chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be beneficial. Combined modality therapies are under investigation and may prolong survival.
Subject(s)
Pancreatic Neoplasms/therapy , Cause of Death , Combined Modality Therapy , Humans , Neoplasm Staging , Pancreatectomy/methods , Pancreatectomy/nursing , Pancreatic Neoplasms/diagnosis , Pancreatic Neoplasms/mortality , Survival Analysis , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Patients with pancreatic cancer have multiple symptoms from both disease and treatment. Pain, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, fatigue, pruritus, and dyspnea are the most common symptoms. Until better treatments are found, patients with pancreatic cancer need effective symptom management to improve their quality of life.
Subject(s)
Oncology Nursing/methods , Pancreatic Neoplasms/complications , Pancreatic Neoplasms/nursing , Quality of Life , Dyspnea/etiology , Fatigue/etiology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/etiology , Humans , Pain/etiology , Pancreatic Neoplasms/psychology , Pruritus/etiologyABSTRACT
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To review the clinical manifestations, current treatment, and nursing management of prostate cancer. DATA SOURCES: Published articles, book chapters, American Cancer Society booklets. DATA SYNTHESIS: Prostate cancer is a slow-growing malignancy and usually is asymptomatic in its early stages. It causes acute urinary obstruction at more advanced stages, and patients may present with metastatic disease. Diagnosis is made by biopsy, and treatment options include periodic observation, surgery, radiotherapy hormonal manipulation, and chemotherapy with standard or investigational drugs or combination therapy. The major complications associated with surgery and radiation therapy are transient or permanent incontinence and impotence. CONCLUSIONS: Because no definitive method for identifying clinically important lesions exists, much controversy surrounds prostate cancer treatment. Issues significant to the diagnosis and treatment of all stages of prostate cancer are identified, and nursing care concerns focusing on treatment and disease-related problems are presented. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nursing care focuses on providing patients with accurate information to make informed decisions regarding treatment for early stage disease, on promoting comfort, and on preventing and managing treatment and disease-related complications. Nursing diagnoses include knowledge deficit; altered sexual patterns, body image disturbance, altered urinary elimination, diarrhea, impaired skin integrity, and pain, fatigue, bleeding, and infection, all of which are related to surgery, pathologic fractures, spinal cord compression, and edema of the scrotum/lower extremities.
Subject(s)
Prostatic Neoplasms/nursing , Prostatic Neoplasms/therapy , Humans , Male , Prostatic Neoplasms/psychologyABSTRACT
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe current prostate cancer screening methods and to address the controversies surrounding their use. DATA SOURCES: Published articles, abstracts, books, and press releases; personal communication. DATA SYNTHESIS: Controversy exists about whether efforts to conduct mass screenings for prostate cancer are of value given the related costs and the inability of such screenings to distinguish between indolent and aggressive tumors. The American Cancer Society (ACS) has added prostate cancer to its "Guidelines for the Cancer-Related Checkup" but does not recommend these guidelines for mass screenings. Preliminary findings of the ACS National Prostate Cancer Detection Study have shown that digital rectal examination (DRE) and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) have the best positive predictive value when the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level is greater than 4 ng/ml. CONCLUSIONS: Despite concern over the rising incidence of prostate cancer, the effectiveness of DRE, PSA, and TRUS in screening for early detection of prostate cancer remains controversial. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: As the public becomes more aware of the controversies surrounding prostate cancer screening, nurses are finding that they play a vital role in the educational process. By understanding the abilities and deficiencies of the current screening methods, nurses can offer men concrete information about DRE, PSA, and TRUS. They can reinforce the importance of early detection for high-risk populations, as well as suggest strategies for encouraging compliance.
