Application of traditional Chinese medical continuing nursing care in follow-up of patients with gastrointestinal carcinoma

Abstract

Objective To study the application value of traditional Chinese medical continuing nursing care in follow-up of patients with gastrointestinal carcinoma .Methods Sixty-four patients with advanced gastrointestinal carcinoma from September 2010 to January 2013 were randomly divided into the control group （n=31） and the experimental group （n =33）.The control group received the routine follow-up, while the experimental group received routine follow-up plus traditional Chinese medical continuing nursing care including pressing the auricular point by magnetic beads , foot bath in the traditional Chinese medicine , massage at the plantar reflex zone and oral shiquandabu decoction .The quality of sleep , the intensity of pain , appetite and cancer-related fatigue （ CRF ） were evaluated before and four weeks after the follow-up in two groups. Results Before the follow-up, Pittsburgh sleep quality index （PSQI） was （10.39 ±177;3.84） in the control group, and （10.15 ±177;3.73） in the experimental group; the score of pain numerical rating scale was （2.26 ±177; 1.03） in the control group, and （2.21 ±177;1.05） in the experimental group;the cases of the mild, moderate and severe according to CRF score were respectively 8, 20, 3 cases in the control group , and respectively 10, 21, 2 cases in the experimental group , and the differences in the three indexes between two groups were not statistically significant （P＞0.05）.Four weeks after the follow-up, PSQI was （10.10 ±177;3.35） in the control group, and （8.48 ±177;2.50） in the experimental group, and the difference was statistically significant （t =2.170,P＜0.05）;the score of pain numerical rating scale was （2.19 ±177;0.83） in the control group, and （1.76 ±177;0.75） in the experimental group, and the difference was statistically significant （t =2.201,P ＜0.05）;the cases of the mild, moderate and severe according to CRF score were respectively 11, 16, 4 cases in the control group , and respectively 20, 13, 0 cases in the experimental group , and the difference was statistically significant （Z =-2.330,P ＜0.05）.Conclusions The traditional Chinese medical continuing nursing care can improve the symptoms in the follow-up of patients with advanced gastrointestinal carcinoma . Key words: Carcinoma; Gastrointestinal tract; Follow up study; Continuing nursing care; Traditional Chinese medical nursing