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.
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IV insertion is often required for administering chemotherapy, antibiotics, blood products, fluids or other medical therapies. In patients with cancer, particularly people receiving repeated courses of chemotherapy, IV insertion may be difficult to achieve. There are various techniques nurses can use to improve IV insertion but few are evidence based.
A study published in the September 2009 issue of Oncology Nursing Forum studied whether dry or moist heat application to the upper extremity improves IV insertion rates. To read the full study, click here. (free registration required)
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Although many infection headlines are related to hospitals, individual doctor's offices are facing similar challenges. Almost 30 cases of hepatitis B were recently tied to one doctor's office in New Jersey. When health inspectors visited the office they found blood on the floor of a room where chemotherapy was administered, blood in a bin where blood vials were stored, unsterile saline and gauze as well as open medication vials. Inspectors also noticed cross-contamination of pens, refrigerators and countertops, use of contaminated gloves and misuse of antiseptics.
Patients were sent a letter from state epidemiologist Dr. Christina Chan urging testing for hepatitis B. "Evidence gathered at this time suggests that since 2002, some clinic staff provided care in a manner that puts patients at risk for infection caused by bloodborne viruses, including hepatitis B," the letter told patients. "The investigation to date suggests that hepatitis B infections identified may be associated with the method by which medications were administered and procedures performed at the practice."
Numerous checklists and recommendations have been published around infection control. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases and Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine offers these infection control musts:
- Hand washing
- Barrier precautions to prevent skin and mucous membrane exposure
- Proper handling of sharps and contaminated waste
- Appropriate cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and equipment
- Aseptic technique for invasive procedures
For the full recommendation on infection control in physician's offices, click here.
To read more about the hepatitis B outbreak in New Jersey, continue reading here.
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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.
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Muffet