Application of a standardized early activity program on enhanced recovery after surgery in patients after surgery for pulmonary nodules.

BACKGROUND: Early postoperative activity, an important part of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in clinical practice, is considered to be a significant component of postoperative quality care. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a standardized early activity program on ERAS in patients after surgery for pulmonary nodules. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with pulmonary nodules who underwent a single-port thoracoscopic segmental resection or a wedge resection of the lung were selected for the present study. These patients were divided into a control group (n= 50) and an intervention group (n= 50) by a digital random method. The patients in the control group received routine perioperative nursing intervention for thoracic surgery due to lung cancer, and those in the intervention group received an intervention using a standardized early activity program along with routine nursing care. The evaluation indexes in both groups included postoperative indwelling time of the closed chest drainage tube, the time to the first off-bed activity after surgery, the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications, the length of postoperative hospital stay, and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: The postoperative indwelling time of the closed chest drainage tube and the time to the first off-bed activity in the intervention group were less than in the control group. The length of the postoperative hospital stay in the intervention group was shorter than in the control group, and the patient satisfaction in the intervention group was higher than in the control group. The difference for these evaluation indexes were statistically significant (P< 0.05). The number of cases of postoperative complications was four and eight in the intervention group and the control group, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P> 0.05). CONCLUSION: A standardized early activity program is a safe and effective nursing measure for ERAS for patients after surgery for pulmonary nodules, which can promote earlier off-bed activity, shorten the postoperative indwelling time of the closed chest drainage tube, shorten the postoperative hospital stay, improve patient satisfaction, and promote rapid recovery.

Effect of an Early Oral Food Intake Strategy on the Quality of Life of Postoperative Patients With Esophageal Cancer.

Objective: To explore the early oral food intake on the quality of life of postoperative patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: A total of 100 patients with esophageal cancer were randomized into an observation group and a control group, with 50 patients in each group. The patients in the control group were routinely indwelt with a gastric tube and fasted for seven days. If no abnormality was found in examinations, the patients were instructed to attempt drinking water and gradually try eating liquid, semi-liquid, and common foods. The patients in the observation group were subjected to the early oral food intake strategy. The recovery and gastrointestinal symptoms of the patients were evaluated using the six-minute walk test and gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS) at discharge. The quality of life of patients was evaluated using the QLQ-C30 scale and QLQ-OES18 scale during the return visit to the hospital one month after discharge. Results: The GSRS score of the observation group was markedly lower than that of the control group. The six-minute walk distance in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group; the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). In comparing the QLQ-C30 scores of the two groups, the scores in physical function, emotional function, and general health condition in the observation group were higher than those in the control group. In comparing the QLQ-OES18 scores of the two groups, the scores in dysphagia, eating, reflux, pain domains, and choking symptoms in the observation group were lower than those in the control group; the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01), and there were no statistically significant differences in other symptoms and related functions between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The early oral food intake strategy can reduce gastrointestinal symptoms, promote recovery of postoperative patients with esophageal cancer, and improve quality of life.