Week 12 - cancer assessment Flashcards
What do we need to educate chemo cancer patients about?
-Nadir - report fever immediately
- avoid infections /crowds/sick people
- hand washing
- clean skin and oral cavity often
- avoid foods with more pathogens (meat, veggies, fruit)
What specific infection are chemo cancer patients more suceptible to?
Yeast infections
What type of cultures do we collect of febrile neutropenic chemo patients?
Pan cultures
What are pan cultures?
- blood cultures
- urine cultures
- would cultures
- sputum cultures
When in hospital what 3 things must we monitor/do for febrile neutropenic patients?
- isolation
- monitor fever
- find source of infection (Pan cultures)
what is the leading cause of death in chemotherapy patients?
Infection
What are the 2 common signs of thrombocytopenia in chemo patients?
- bleeding gums
- nose bleeds (epistaxis)
What does epistaxis mean?
nose bleeds
What are 2 early signs of thrombocytopenia in chemo patients?
- bleeding gums
- nose bleeds (epistaxis)
What are 4 later signs of thrombocytopenia in chemo patients?
- bruising
- hematuria
- hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
- GI bleeds (hematemisis/melena)
What does hemoptysis mean?
coughing up blood
What measurement is considered thrombocytopenia?
<150,000 mm3 platelet count
Order from greatest to least impact, what is affected in chemo patients with their platelets, neutrophils and RBC
- Neutrophils
- platelets
- RBC
What meds are contraindicated in patients with thrombocytopenia ?
- Any that cause bleeding
1. aspirin
2. NSAIDS
3. anticoagulants (allows more bleeding)
What 3 things should patients avoid who have thrombocytopenia?
- vigorous tooth brushing
- careful shaving
- no high risk activities
When caring for someone in the hospital who has thrombocytopenia what do we not give them?
Their daily heparin
What method of med delivery should nurses avoid in someone with thrombocytopenia?
subcut injections
IM injections
What two things should nurses be careful when caring for a patient with thrombocytopenia?
- blood pressure cuff - too tight = brusing
- IV insertion
If a chemo patient has anemia what will we see?
- SOB
- fatigue
- Pallour
- lower Hbg
What 2 things do we assess in someone with stomatitis?
- oral mucosa
- weight & intake (due to their pain)
