When Angela Current was diagnosed with a rare cancer she immediately went online to start researching the condition. Utilizing the internet to find medical information isn't a new concept. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, eight in ten internet users have looked online for health information. Many e-patients say the internet has had a significant impact on the way they care for themselves or for others. Current however took her online adventure one step further by delving into social networks to connect with others with a similar diagnosis. "The chat was nice for instant moral support and for meeting people like me, with cancer," Current said in an interview with Pulse + Signal. To read Current's entire interview and learn more about the role social media played in her cancer journey, click here.
Photo Credit: Andy Woo
Central venous catheters (CVC) are essential for treating children with cancer. They reduce the need for multiple needlesticks and the associated pain and anxiety. In addition, they can be used to deliver chemotherapy, parenteral fluids, blood products and analgesics. Despite the positives, children with CVCs are at increased risk for bloodstream infections. Complications associated with CVCs include pneumothorax, air embolism, nerve injury, catheter malposition, infection and occlusion.
A recent study had four objectives:
1. To decrease CVC-related bloodstream infection rates in children with cancer through a comprehensive educational intervention.
2. To determine if the frequency of catheter hub colonization of CVCs in children with cancer would decrease following the educational intervention.
3. To evaluate nurses' knowledge of CVC care.
4. To determine risk factors influencing CVC-related bloodstream infections in children with cancer.
The study was conducted in the cancer center of a large children's hospital and included patients ranging in age from infancy to 18 years. A 45 minute educational program on CDC guidelines, most frequent guideline violations and information on catheter-related infections was presented to all caregivers. Following the educational presentation, catheter-related bloodstream infections were tracked for six months in order to determine the rate of infection. Study findings showed that the educational program increased nurses' knowledge and instances of catheter-related bloodstream infections decreased. You can read the full article in the March 2009 issue of Oncology Nursing Forum or purchase it online here.
Photo Credit: Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center
Nurses working in oncology often see people at their worst. Facing a tough diagnosis, some patients choose to forgo lengthy hospital stays and intense chemotherapy infusions. Instead they decide on quality of life instead of quantity and choose to spend their time at home with friends and loved ones. A question open for debate is how much influence should healthcare providers have on end-of-life decisions? Continue reading here about an oncologist and nurse's differing opinions in a newly-diagnosed cancer patient.
Photo Credit: Perfecto Insecto
A study in a recent issue of the Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology focused on the rate of PICC-related complications in children with cancer in developing countries. Children over 3 years of age who received chemotherapy and PICC placement between June 2003 and May 2007 were studied. The study yielded 119 PICC insertions in a total of 116 patients. To read an abstract of the study or to purchase a PDF of the full article, click here.
Photo Credit: Ryan Chen
Psychiatric nurse practitioner Veronica Decker is the author of the recently-published guide "Coping with Cancer." She is also a cancer survivor but wasn't when she wrote the patient guide. Now she has experienced first hand the side effects and emotional ups and downs she previously wrote about. "We knew what patients had said but experiencing chemo is so hard... that sick nauseating feeling is real. It's not like you can think it away," Decker said in an interview with the Detroit News. For more of Decker's story, click here.
To buy "Coping with Cancer", click here.
Photo Credit: Cobalt123
A favorite song can give you a lift on a bad day but do certain melodies have healing properties? A growing number of hospitals are including music in treatments for conditions such as Parkinson's disease and cancer. 
Dr. Michael Miller, Director of the Center for Preventative Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center presented data to the American Heart Association late last year. His study examined 10 healthy non-smoking volunteers both before and after they listed to music of their choosing. The results post-tunes - a 26 percent increase in the diameter of their upper arm blood vessels. Note that dilated blood vessels lead to increased blood flow. To further prove his point, his research subjects' blood vessels narrowed after suffering through music they hated. To read more about the healing properties of music, click here.
Photo Credit: Flykr
Long after diagnosis, port placement, rounds of chemotherapy and treatment are over cancer patients are faced with the inevitability of routine screenings. No matter how successful or far in the past their treatment days are, routine tests and scans bring with them high anxiety. Other patients have more visible reminders of treatment such as a punk-rock short haircut or a port nestled beneath their skin. Researchers have started to measure the positive impact this fear or anxiety can have including the motivation to live a healthier life. Read the entire article
here.
Photo Credit:
Muffet