Randomized clinical trial of self nursing intervention for improving cancer pain treatment

Xie Yongqiong; Yang Yuling

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1672-8521.2017.03.010

Abstract：Objective: To evaluate the effect of nursing intervention on pain intensity, time of pain and the use of analgesics for cancer patients with bone metastasis. Methods: Ninety oncology outpatients with bone metastasis cured in the pain clinic of Nanchong Central Hospital were randomized into two groups: nursing intervention group (n=47) and control (n=43) group. Patients in nursing intervention group got home visiting and nursing intervention on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday every week to help them to prevent and treat the side-effects of analgesics, adjust the dosage of analgesics when the pain was not relieved, make communication with and ask for help from the clinic physicians when necessary, and the patients were followed up through telephone on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday every week. Patients in control group received the same frequency of interview for inquiring analgesics intake. The lasting time and the intensity of daily pain were recorded. Results: The pain intensity scores decreased and the lasting time of pain shortened from the 1st week after nursing intervention in nursing intervention group (P<0.05). No significant difference was found of pain intensity scores and the lasting time of pain in control group before and after intervention (P>0.05). No significant difference existed in the change of analgesics category following the time between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: Nursing intervention can reduce the pain intensity and shorten the lasting time of pain, so is worthy of popularization and application in treatment of cancer patients with bone metastasis.