RESEARCH ARTICLE

 

Palliative care: A positive outcome for cancer patients?

 

 

JE Maree^I; SCD Wright^II

^ID Cur. Tshwane University of Technology
^IID Tech. Tshwane University of Technology

Correspondence

 

 

---

ABSTRACT

The development of palliative care in terms of recognizing the needs of the dying, palliative care becoming a nursing and medical speciality, the involvement of the World Health Organization in palliative care and the continuous development of treatment modalities available to cancer patients creates the expectation that the outcomes for the patient should also be positively influenced. The purpose of the study was to determine the most common symptoms of advanced cancer patients treated in a public and private hospital in Tshwane, and whether advances in palliative care improved the outcomes for these patients by decreasing the prevalence of symptoms experienced. The design of the study was a quantitative survey. The population consisted of patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative treatment as out patients in radiation and medical oncology clinics in a public and private hospital the Tshwane Metropolitan area. The sampling method was convenient and the sample size was 148 participants (n=148). Data was gathered by means of an interview and self report. Data analysis was done by means of descriptive statistics. The results of the study indicated that a high number of patients still experience problems that could have been prevented. Pain was found to be the biggest problem for patients (76.4%) followed by weakness and fatigue (65.5%), nausea and vomiting (65.5%) and a dry mouth (46.6%). Thirst was reported by 41.2% of the sample. The study provides evidence that the development of palliative care did not have a positive outcome for patients by reducing the prevalence of symptoms experienced.

Keywords: Palliative care; Cancer; Symptoms; Patient outcomes

---

 

 

“Full text available only in PDF format”

 

 

References

ATKINSON, J & VIRDEE, A 2001: Promoting comfort for patients with symptoms other than pain. In: Kinghorn, S. & Gamlin, R. (ed.) Palliative nursing: Bringing comfort and hope. Edinburgh: Bailliere Tindall.         [ Links ]

BECK, SL & FALKSON, G 2001: Prevalence and management of cancer pain in South Africa. Pain. 94( 1): 75:84.         [ Links ]

BRINK, H 2002: Fundamentals of research methodology for health care professionals. Kenwyn: Juta.         [ Links ]

FARRER, K 2001: Pain control. In Kinghom, S. & Gamlin, R. (ed.). Palliative nursing: Bringing comfort and hope. Edinburgh: Bailliere Tindall.         [ Links ]

FAULL, C & WOOF, R 2002: Palliative care. Oxford: Oxford University Press.         [ Links ]

FINK, R & GATES, R 2001: Pain assessment. In Ferrell, B.R. & Coyle, N. (ed.). Textbook of palliative nursing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.         [ Links ]

FINLAY, I 1997: The management of other frequently encountered symptoms, In: Penson, J. & Fisher, R. (ed.). Palliative care for people with cancer. London: Arnold.         [ Links ]

FITCH'S AFRICAN POPULATION PAGE [Online] 2006: African Population.         [ Links ] www.orbit6.com/crisf/misc/africa.htm [Accessed 4 December 2006].

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION see UNITED STATES.         [ Links ]

GAMLIN, R 2001: Palliative nursing: past, present and future. In: Kinghorn, S. & Gamlin, R. ed.). Palliative nursing: Bringing comfort and hope. Edinburgh: Bailliere Tindall.         [ Links ]

GLASS, E,- CLUXTON, C & RANCOUR, P 2001: Principles of patient and family assessment. In: Ferrell, B.R. & Coyle, N. (ed.). Textbook of palliative nursing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.         [ Links ]

GREEN, A 2006: Interview. Pretoria. (Notes in possession of author).         [ Links ]

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF NURSES [Online] 2002: Safe staffing research.         [ Links ] http://www.icn.ch/sewapr-iun02.htm#3. [Accessed: 4/12/2006].

JOHNSON, B 1999: Overview of nursing developments in palliative care. In:Lugton, J. & Kindlen, M. (ed.). Palliative care: the nursing role. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.         [ Links ]

KEDZIERA, P 2001: Hydration thirst and nutrition. In:Ferrell, B.R. & Coyle, N. (ed.). Textbook of palliative nursing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.         [ Links ]

LEMONE, P & BURKE, K 2004: Medical surgical nursing: Critical thinking in client care. New Jersey: Pearson Education.         [ Links ]

LoBIONDO-WOOD, G & HABER, J 2006: Nursing research: methods and critical appraisal for evidence-based practice. St. Louis: Mosby.         [ Links ]

MAFU, T [Online] 2007: Private hospitals called to cure nursing shortage.         [ Links ] Business Report. http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=561&fArticleId=3660689

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL see South Africa.         [ Links ]

MEUSER, T; PIETRUCK, C; RADBRUCH, L; STUTE, P; LEHMANN, K A & GROUND, S 2001: Symptoms during cancer pain treatment following WHO-guidelines: a longitudinal follow-up study of symptoms prevalence, severity and etiology. Pain. 93(3): 247-257.         [ Links ]

MUNJANJA, OK, KIBUKA, S & DOVLO, D 2005: The nursing work force in sub- Saharan Africa. Geneve: International Council of Nurses.         [ Links ]

POLIT, FD & BECK, CT 2004: Nursing research: principles and methods. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott.         [ Links ]

SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL [Online] 2007: Burden of disease research unit,         [ Links ] http://www.mrc.ac.za/bod/faqcancer.htm [Accessed: 10/5/2006].

UNITED STATES FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION [Online] 2006.         [ Links ] List of approved oncology drugs with approved indications. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/pmctools/druglist.cmf [Accessed: 28/ 08/2006].

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION AND INTERNATIONAL UNION AGAINST CANCER. 2005. Global action against cancer. Switzerland: WHO and IUAC.         [ Links ]

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION [Online] 2006: Cancer.         [ Links ] Available from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/print.html [Accessed: 10/1/2007].

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION [Online] 2008: Palliative care.         [ Links ] Available from: http://www.icn.ch/global/summary.pdf [Accessed: 01/ 02/2008].

 

 

Correspondence:
Dr Lize (JE) Maree
Head: Adelaide Tambo School
of Nursing Science
Tshwane University of Technology
Private Bag X680
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Tel: (012) 382-5285; Fax: (012)382-5033
E-mail: mareeje@tut.ac.za