Week 3 Flashcards
Cancer Care
What are antineoplastic drugs?
Drugs that are considered hazardous because they have the following properties: carcinogenic, teratogenic, mutagenic, etc.
What is cancer staging?
Refers to the process of determining how large the cancer is, and how far it has spread.
What is sepsis?
Life-threatening dysfunction caused by impaired regulation of the patient’s response to infection and is considered cancer care emergency.
How does cancer develop?
- large group of diseases that can start in any part of the body.
- affects almost any organ or tissue.
- occurs when healthy cells are damaged and grow uncontrollably.
- these cell can then invade other areas of the body.
Diagnosis and staging of Cancer
- Patient history and physical examination.
- initial tests such as blood tests, urine tests and medical imaging.
- tissue/cell biopsy.
What does TNM stand for? (TNM staging system)
- Tumour
- Nodal Involvement
- Metastasis
Symptoms of cancer?
N&V, constipation, diarrhoea, fever and infection, and fatigue.
How do we know if it is sepsis?
- infection is confirmed or suspected.
- RR >20bpm
- Temp. <36 or >38.
- HR >90bpm.
S&S of sepsis
- clammy or sweaty hands.
- SOB
- tachycardia
- shivering, fever, or very cold.
- confusion or disorientation.
What does ‘definitive’ mean?
Single primary modality
What does ‘concurrent’ mean?
Multiple treatments at the same time.
What does ‘adjuvant’ mean?
Treatment given after their primary treatment to reduce or destroy any remaining cancer cells.
What does ‘neo-adjuvant’ mean?
Treatment is given before the primary treatment to help reduce the size of the tumour.
What does ‘prophylactic’ mean?
Preventative treatment.
What does ‘curative’ mean?
The intent is to cure the person of cancer.
What does ‘control’ mean?
To control the cancer and stop it from growing or spreading any further.
What does ‘palliative’ mean?
To manage symptoms that are caused by the cancer, at the stage of the disease when it is possible to cure the cancer.
Cytotoxic advice: what should you do when body fluids are exposed?
Double bag and put into the rubbish.
Cytotoxic advice: how do you clean up body fluid spills?
Use warm, soapy water and dispose of cloths used in a double-bagged plastic bag.
Cytotoxic advice: how to use the toilet
Sit down on the toilet. Close the lid and use a full flush and ensure the lid remains closed during flushing.
What is a Bromage Score?
- tells us where the sensory block is for the patient.
- check the movement in their legs, asking them to wiggle their toes or lift their knee.
What are Dermatomes?
- we use something cold, and we use it to test what the patient can/can’t feel.
- working our way down from the head, all the way down the torso to indicate where the sensory block starts and finishes.
Epidural assessment: site
- look at the site as well the the line itself.
- checking for any potential infection, redness, swelling, pain and the integrity of the dressing.
- look at the markings on the line to see if it has moved or not.
Epidural assessment: infusion
- double checking our order and that we are happy with how it is running.
