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Symptom Burden (symptom + burden)
Selected AbstractsClassifying subgroups of patients with symptoms of acute coronary syndromes: A cluster analysisRESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 5 2010Holli A. DeVon Abstract The purpose of the study was to identify subgroups of patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes based on symptom clusters. Two hundred fifty-six patients completed a symptom assessment in their hospital rooms. Latent class cluster analysis and analysis of variance were used to classify subgroups of patients according to selected clinical characteristics. Four subgroups were identified and labeled as Heavy Symptom Burden, Chest Pain Only, Sweating and Weak, and Short of Breath and Weak (model fit ,2 [130,891, n,=,256],=,867.5, p,=,1.00). The largest group of patients experienced classic symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath but not sweating. Younger patients were more likely to cluster in the Heavy Symptom Burden group (F,=,5.08, p,=,.002). Interpretation of the clinical significance of these groupings requires further study. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 33:386,397, 2010 [source] Symptom burden in inflammatory bowel disease: Rethinking conceptual and theoretical underpinningsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 5 2010Dawn Farrell BSC RGN Farrell D, Savage E. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 437,442 Symptom burden in inflammatory bowel disease: Rethinking conceptual and theoretical underpinnings Symptom control is fundamental to the nursing management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, symptom control can be problematic for individuals with IBD, which could result in symptom burden. Symptom burden is an evolving concept in the discipline of nursing and to date little is known about how the defining characteristics of this concept have been applied to symptom research in IBD. In this discussion paper, the concept of symptom burden and the theory of unpleasant symptoms are explored as a basis for understanding symptom research in IBD. This is followed by a critical examination of previous symptom research in IBD. Our conclusion is that there is a need to rethink conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of symptom burden when researching IBD to take account of its defining characteristics, namely symptom severity, frequency and duration, quality and distress. Research knowledge on these defining characteristics will be important to inform nursing assessment of symptom burden in clinical practice. [source] Ethnic Differences in Pain Among Outpatients with Terminal and End-Stage Chronic IllnessPAIN MEDICINE, Issue 3 2005Michael W. Rabow MD ABSTRACT Objective., To explore ethnic and country of origin differences in pain among outpatients with terminal and end-stage chronic illness. Design., Cohort study within a year-long trial of a palliative care consultation. Setting., Outpatient general medicine practice in an academic medical center. Patients., Ninety patients with advanced congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or cancer, and with a prognosis between 1 and 5 years. Outcome Measures., Patients' report of pain using the Brief Pain Inventory and analgesic medications prescribed by primary care physicians. Differences in pain report and treatment were assessed at study entry, at 6 and 12 months. Results., The overall burden of pain was high. Patients of color reported more pain than white patients, including measures of least pain (P = 0.02), average pain (P = 0.05), and current pain (P = 0.03). No significant ethnic group differences in pain were found comparing Asian, black, and Latino patients. Although nearly all patients who were offered opioid analgesics reported using them, opioids were rarely prescribed to any patient. There were no differences in pain between patients born in the U.S. and immigrants. Conclusions., Pain is common among outpatients with both terminal and end-stage chronic illness. There do not appear to be any differences in pain with regard to country of origin, but patients of color report more pain than white patients. Patients of all ethnicities are inadequately treated for their pain, and further study is warranted to explore the relative patient and physician contributions to the finding of unequal symptom burden and inadequate treatment effort. [source] Clinical Symptomatology and Paranasal Sinus Involvement With Nasal Septal PerforationTHE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 4 2007FACS, Neil Bhattacharyya MD Abstract Objective: Determine the symptom manifestations, clinical impact, and incidence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in patients with newly diagnosed nasal septal perforation. Methods: A consecutive series of adult patients with nasal septal perforation were prospectively studied at the time of endoscopic diagnosis with the rhinosinusitis symptom inventory (RSI) and sinus computed tomography (CT). Patients' symptoms in the RSI symptom domains were computed. From the CT scan, septal perforation size and Lund scores were obtained. A separate (control) cohort of patients with CRS without septal perforation was matched to these patients for age, sex, and Lund score. RSI symptom domain comparisons were conducted between groups to determine the additional symptom burden conferred by septal perforation. Results: Thirty-three patients with septal perforation were enrolled (mean age, 48.2 yr; 69.7% female). Mean perforation size was 1.9 (SD, 2.1) cm2. The mean Lund score was 5.8 (SD, 5.3); 16 (57.1%) patients met radiographic criteria for a concurrent diagnoses of CRS. Patients with septal perforation reported significant nasal and facial symptom domain scores (56.8 and 47.0, respectively [range, 0,100]). Oropharyngeal and systemic symptoms were less severe (29.7 and 34.7, respectively). However, after comparison with the matched control patients, no statistically significant differences were identified in sinonasal symptoms between patients with and without septal perforation (all P > .131). Conclusions: Concurrent CRS may frequently accompany nasal septal perforation and may require appropriate treatment along with the perforation itself. The presence of septal perforation does not appear to significantly augment symptom severity in CRS. [source] Patient-reported acute gastrointestinal symptoms during concurrent chemoradiation treatment for rectal cancer,CANCER, Issue 8 2010Ronald C. Chen MD Abstract BACKGROUND: Although it is known that standard 5-fluorouracil,based chemoradiation therapy for rectal cancer causes significant acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity, research on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is limited. The authors undertook the current study to assess the feasibility of incorporating PRO measurement into routine clinical practice and to describe the trajectory of symptom development during treatment. METHODS: Seventy-seven consecutive patients who were treated between 2006 and 2008 were eligible. Patients completed the 7-item Bowel Problems Scale immediately before weekly physician visits. RESULTS: The questionnaire completion rate was 95%. Individual GI symptoms had different trajectories of development. By Week 5, approximately 40% of all patients developed clinically meaningful pain, bowel urgency, or tenesmus that was not present during Week 1; 30% developed diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and passing mucus. However, overall symptom burden was moderate. Seventy-five percent of patients who presented with rectal bleeding at Week 1 improved by Week 3 of treatment. Within each physician-assessed grade of diarrhea, patient experience varied widely. For example, of the 50 patients who developed grade 2 diarrhea on the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Acute Morbidity Scale, the numbers of patients reporting only occasional symptoms versus those reporting frequent or very frequent symptoms were similar. CONCLUSIONS: PROs provided information on patient symptoms during chemoradiation treatment for rectal cancer that was not captured otherwise, and it was feasible to incorporate PROs into routine clinical practice. The current results may be used by physicians to counsel their patients before treatment initiation and to provide a benchmark against which trials that use new therapies may be compared. Cancer 2010; 116:1879,86. © 2010 American Cancer Society. [source] Prognostic value of symptom burden for overall survival in patients receiving chemotherapy for advanced nonsmall cell lung cancerCANCER, Issue 1 2010Xin Shelley Wang MD Abstract BACKGROUND: Patient,reported outcomes have shown independent prognostic value for patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, translating patient-reported outcomes into useful prognostic information for individual patients has been problematic. METHODS: A total of 94 patients with advanced NSCLC and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS) of 0 to 2 who qualified for chemotherapy rated symptom severity using the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory before and after their first chemotherapy cycle. Prognostic values of baseline symptoms and changes in symptom severity were examined by Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, controlled for demographic and other factors, baseline coughing rated ,4 independently predicted significantly higher risk for shorter survival (hazards ratio [HR], 8.69; P < .0001). Patients with coughing ,4 and a PS of 2 were more likely to have shorter survival (HR, 20.6; P < .0001) than patients with coughing <4 and a PS of 0 to 1. A 1,point or greater increase in severity of fatigue (P < .05), shortness of breath, or poor appetite (P < .01) from baseline to the end of the first chemotherapy cycle was also found to be independently associated with higher risk for poor survival. CONCLUSIONS: An increased risk for shorter survival was indicated by moderate to severe coughing at baseline or by increased fatigue or shortness of breath during the first chemotherapy cycle in patients with advanced NSCLC. Although cross,validation is needed, these data suggest that an individual patient's symptom severity scores, quickly obtainable in the clinic, might contribute clinically useful information for treatment planning for that patient. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society. [source] Do phase 1 patients have greater needs for palliative care compared with other cancer patients?CANCER, Issue 2 2009Esmé Finlay MD Abstract BACKGROUND: Phase 1 oncology trial participants often are excluded from hospice. However, it is not known whether they would benefit from hospice services. The objectives of the current study were to define the palliative care needs of these patients and to determine whether their needs are greater than those of other cancer patients. METHODS: Two hundred ninety-seven patients who were undergoing cancer therapy and 69 patients who were enrolled in phase 1 trials at 7 oncology clinics in an urban cancer network were recruited and consented to participate in interviews. Interviewers assessed the prevalence and severity of 10 symptoms using the Global Distress Index of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale and patients' perceived need for 4 services typically provided through hospice: a chaplain, counselor, home health aide, and visiting nurse. RESULTS: Patients in the 2 groups had a similar symptom burden. However, after adjusting for Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status scores, phase 1 patients were more likely to have 5 of the 10 symptoms and reported greater severity for 6 of the 10 symptoms. Compared with other patients, phase 1 patients were less likely to say they needed a home health aide (4 of 69 patients [6%] vs 198 of 297 patients [67%]), a chaplain (7 of 69 patients [10%] vs 134 of 297 patients [45%]), or a counselor (11 of 69 patients [16%] vs 160 of 297 patients [54%]; chi-square test: P < .001 for all). They were equally likely to say they needed a visiting nurse (30 of 69 patients [44%] vs 142 of 297 patients [48%]; chi-square test: P = .516). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with other patients who had cancer, patients who were participating in phase 1 trials were less likely to want several home care services, although they experienced a greater symptom burden. Further research will be needed to define the palliative care needs of this population. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society. [source] | ||||||||||