Nurses' knowledge and care practices for infection prevention in neutropenic patients.

BACKGROUND: Neutropenia-associated infections can prolong hospitalization, increase re-admission, mortality and morbidity rates. AIM: To determine nurses' knowledge and infection control care practices in neutropenic patients. DESIGN: This descriptive study was conducted between January 2012 and May 2012, at oncology adult inpatient units of a university hospital in Turkey. Sample consisted of 51 staff nurses. METHODS: Data were collected by a form included sociodemographic characteristics, neutropenia knowledge questions, and infection control care practices. Each nurse was observed by researcher three times for infection control care practices. RESULTS: The mean score of nurses' knowledge was 21.3 ± 2.4 (min. 17; max. 27). For all three observations hand hygiene adherence was found low both in medication preparation, administration and vital signs assessment. Sterility disrupted in almost all preparation of parenteral medications. CONCLUSIONS: Even nurses' knowledge related with neutropenia and care of neutropenic patient was found above average their infection control care practices were found insufficient.

Neutropenic sepsis.

What was the nature of the CPD activity, practice-related feedback and/or event and/or experience in your practice? The article discussed the causes, signs and symptoms of neutropenic sepsis in adult patients after cancer treatment. It also explored the prevention and management of this condition.

Informal Caregivers' Knowledge and Practice of Caring for Neutropenic Patients.

Cooperation of informal caregivers on neutropenic patient care is very important. This descriptive study includes interviews with 100 informal caregivers of inpatients who became neutropenic at least two days previously. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews on informal caregivers' knowledge and practice of caring for patients with neutropenia. The authors found that some rules, such as washing hands and attention to personal cleaning, were known and practiced; other rules, such as having a bath every other day, were less well known. At a Glance • Caregivers should be provided with regular training and standard education programs. • Informal caregivers should be observed when engaged in their routines to assess whether their practice is appropriate in neutropenic patient caring, and nurses should check whether or not their recommendations are being applied and ensure any deficiencies are addressed. • The verbal instruction provided by nurses for caregivers does not include enough information about care for neutropenic patients.

Neutropenia Precautions for Children Receiving Chemotherapy or Stem Cell Transplantation for Cancer.

Infections in children and adolescents with cancer are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in those receiving chemotherapy who are neutropenic and/or immunocompromised. The aim of this article is to review existing evidence in order to provide a practice recommendation to prevent or minimize infections in neutropenic and/or immunocompromised patients receiving chemotherapy and/or stem cell transplant. Systematic reviews were undertaken and research was graded according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. A variety of interventions are implemented to reduce infections in the neutropenic and/or immunocompromised population; however, few are supported by research evidence. Existing literature should continue to be reviewed to further identify interventions that can influence positive patient outcomes and provide opportunities for individuals in the medical field to work together to improve clinical care.

Implementing an evidence-based risk assessment tool to predict chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in women with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have documented the efficacy of prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in reducing rates of infections and risk of febrile neutropenia. An appropriate risk assessment model is pivotal to identify high-risk patients who would require granulocyte colony-stimulating factor prophylaxis. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study were to develop, implement, and evaluate a risk assessment model for neutropenic events in breast cancer patients who were receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy. METHODS: During the study period, neutropenia risk was assessed for breast cancer patients by using an innovative risk model before the first cycle of chemotherapy. A stepwise logistic regression model was performed to determine significant factors for the prediction. RESULTS: A total of 119 patients were evaluated for neutropenia risk between August 2010 and December 2010. Twenty-nine percent (35/119) of the patients have experienced at least 1 neutropenic event during the initial 3 cycles of chemotherapy. Based on the logistic regression model, only the risk score was retained as the significant predictor; the probability of an individual patient developing neutropenic events increased 1.24 times by increasing 1 score number (odds ratio, 1.24; with 95% confidence interval, 1.063-1.457). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the examination of different cutoff points, the performance of the risk model is best when the risk threshold is set at 6, which was found to have a sensitivity of 0.49 and a specificity of 0.69; the misclassification rate was 0.37, with a positive predictive value of 0.40 and a negative predictive value of 0.76. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results of this project support incorporating the discussed risk assessment model into routine nursing assessments to prevent neutropenic complications.

Managing side effects of the novel taxane cabazitaxel in castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

Cabazitaxel, a novel taxane, was approved in June 2010 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in men previously treated with docetaxel. In TROPIC (N = 755), an open-label, randomized, phase III trial, cabazitaxel (plus prednisone) was associated with improvement in median overall survival compared with mitoxantrone plus prednisone (15.1 versus 12.7 months, p < 0.0001) in patients with mCRPC who had progressed following docetaxel-based regimens. That corresponds to a 30% relative reduction in risk of death compared with the mitoxantrone regimen. In addition, significant benefit existed in median progression-free survival with cabazitaxel versus the mitoxantrone regimen (2.8 versus 1.4 months, p < 0.0001). Most common adverse events (AEs) associated with cabazitaxel were hematologic; the rates (all grade) of neutropenia, leukopenia, and anemia were greater than 90%. Diarrhea, fatigue, asthenia, and back pain were the most common grade 3 or higher nonhematologic AEs. Because expected AEs from cabazitaxel therapy can delay or even interrupt treatment, oncology nurses need to be aware of those risks and their management. This article reviews the vital role of nurses in identifying patients at high risk for AEs associated with cabazitaxel therapy and reviews strategies for prevention and management of symptoms.

The Patient Care Monitor-Neutropenia Index: development, reliability, and validity of a measure for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To provide an initial evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Patient Care Monitor 1.0 Revised-Neutropenia Index (PCM-N), a symptom-based assessment tool designed to measure health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) changes associated with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. DESIGN: Known-groups methodology and self-report instrument validation. SETTING: A large community oncology practice in Memphis, TN. SAMPLE: 424 patients with cancer in four samples. METHODS: All patients in the first three samples were assessed at baseline of chemotherapy administration and at a point analogous to midcycle. The fourth sample underwent a cross-sectional evaluation of the ability of the PCM-N to distinguish patients with febrile neutropenia, severe afebrile neutropenia, and no neutropenia. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: PCM-N score, grade of neutropenia, and febrile status. FINDINGS: Internal consistency reliability and factor analysis supported the single additive scale structure of the 13 items of the PCM-N. The PCM-N demonstrated good known-groups validity and was able to distinguish patients with grades 3-4 neutropenia from those with grades 0-2. The tool also was able to distinguish patients with febrile neutropenia, severe afebrile neutropenia, and no neutropenia. Receiver operating characteristic analyses provided a psychometrically based threshold score. CONCLUSIONS: The PCM-N is a reliable and valid instrument sensitive to changes in HRQOL associated with moderate-to-severe chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nurses can use the PCM-N as a rapid and cost-effective tool for monitoring symptoms of neutropenia in patients with cancer.

Oncology nurses' use of National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guidelines for chemotherapy-induced and febrile neutropenia.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe oncology nurses' use of National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) clinical practice guidelines for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) and febrile neutropenia (FN). DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey design; descriptive, correlational analysis. SETTING: E-mail invitation to Web-based survey. SAMPLE: Random sample of 309 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) members with e-mail addresses who provide care to adult patients receiving chemotherapy. METHODS: The investigator-developed Neutropenia Oncology Nurses Survey was used. Descriptive tests compared respondents' personal and professional characteristics to those of general ONS members; nonparametric chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to correlate respondents' survey subscale scores with demographic data. Significant associations were entered into multiple logistic regression models. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: The Neutropenia Oncology Nurses Survey's subscales measured subjective norm, attitude, perceived competence and confidence, perceived barriers, and use of NCCN clinical practice guidelines for CIN and FN. FINDINGS: Response rate of nurses who opened the survey was 50%. Most practiced in community versus academic centers. Eighty percent reported using the NCCN clinical practice guidelines for CIN and FN. Respondents were more likely to use clinical practice guidelines when they were expected to by physician and nurse colleagues, they perceived fewer barriers, or they held advanced oncology certification. CONCLUSIONS: This study was the first to assess oncology nurses' reported use of NCCN clinical practice guidelines for CIN and FN. It also demonstrated the feasibility of partnering with ONS for Web-based survey research. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: The findings give insight into work-place barriers to evidence-based practice in various settings. Expanding dissemination and implementation of clinical practice guideline recommendations will support the development of oncology nursing standards for risk assessment, management, and patient and family education in CIN and FN.

Nursing management of common oncological emergencies.

This article examines three of the most common oncological emergencies. It considers the underlying pathophysiology of these conditions and the symptoms. The role of the nurse in identifying these conditions and expediting timely care to reduce patient morbidity and mortality is discussed.

Managing neutropenia in older patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy in a community setting.

Older patients with cancer who may be more susceptible than younger patients to the myelosuppressive effects of chemotherapy undergo dose delays and reductions that can compromise treatment outcomes. Incidence of neutropenic complications and suboptimal chemotherapy delivery can be reduced with prophylactic colony-stimulating factors; however, their use in older patients with cancer has not been well studied. A randomized, multicenter, community-based trial was designed to compare prophylactic pegfilgrastim use (all cycles of chemotherapy) versus its more common reactive use (at clinicians' discretion) in patients aged 65 years or older with various cancers. Pegfilgrastim use in all cycles reduced the incidence of febrile neutropenia by about 60% and hospitalizations caused by neutropenia and febrile neutropenia by about 50% versus reactive pegfilgrastim use in later cycles. The study showed that older patients with cancer can be treated safely with optimal doses of chemotherapy with appropriate supportive care. Nurses, key collaborators in providing supportive care, can take an active role in identifying older patients who may benefit from pegfilgrastim in all cycles of chemotherapy.

Using a computer-based risk assessment tool to identify risk for chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia.

This article evaluates the feasibility of developing and implementing a computer-based risk assessment tool (CBRAT) for febrile neutropenia and determines whether it could improve documentation of risk assessment in patients starting myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimens. The CBRAT was designed using a template creator in a commercial electronic medical records system. The effectiveness of the CBRAT was evaluated by comparing medical records data of patients with one or more risk factor for febrile neutropenia who were given prophylactic granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor before and after implementation. CBRAT usage significantly increased the likelihood of documented febrile neutropenia risk assessment from 13% before implementation to 100% after implementation (p < 0.001). No significant changes occurred in febrile neutropenia incidence rates, dose reductions, or dose delays. In addition, healthcare providers quickly learned how to operate the CBRAT and used it routinely, significantly improving the number of patients with documented febrile neutropenia risk assessment. Implementation of a computer-based tool can help nurses follow evidence-based guidelines that recommend routine febrile neutropenia risk assessment for patients initiating myelosuppressive chemotherapy.

Care of immunocompromised patients in hospital.

Infection presents a significant risk for immunocompromised patients. To reduce this risk, various precautions can be implemented and these may affect patients' quality of life. Such precautions are controversial, with varying practices being adopted by different hospitals. This article aims to enhance nurses' knowledge about the current evidence on the interventions designed to reduce the rate of infection in immunocompromised patients who are in hospital.

The EDUCATE Study: a continuing education exemplar for Clinical Practice Guideline Implementation.

Cancer care is evolving from a solo practitioner care delivery system based on tradition and anecdotal experience to a multidisciplinary, collaborative, science-driven paradigm. Evidence-based practice facilitates optimal care quality for patients with cancer and is effected for medical and nursing practitioners through clinical practice guideline implementation. Clinician education based on principles of adult learning is one method of implementing clinical practice guidelines in clinical practice. However, research demonstrates that conventional static methods of education do little to change behavior; instead, effective education incorporates interactive formats, provides feedback, and includes reminder and reinforcement strategies. The EDUCATE (Educating Clinicians to Achieve Treatment Guideline Effectiveness) Study offers one model for clinical practice guideline implementation using educational methods. A faculty of nurse educators, together with practice champions, carried out an intensive educational intervention comprised of multiple teaching/learning activities during a 12-month period in community oncology practices throughout the United States. In addition to an overview of clinical practice guidelines and educational methods that can be used for implementation of clinical practice guidelines, the obstacles faced and lessons learned through the EDUCATE Study are presented, along with recommendations for implementation in the practice setting.