PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot on nausea vomiting and anorexia in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. METHOD: Study subjects were 30 patients who had experienced nausea and vomiting when they had been hospitalized in K university hospital located in D city after receiving more than two Cisplatin combination chemotherapy treatments. Among them 15 patients were in the experimental group doing aroma oil inhalation and the other 15 patients were in the control group without aroma oil inhalation. The data were collected from February 1, 2002 to May 17, 2002. The data were analyzed with SPSS WIN 10.0 program using frequency, percentage, chi-square-test, t-test, Repeated Measures ANOVA. RESULTS: 1) The degree of nausea and vomiting in the experimental group with aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot were significantly lower than that of the control group. 2) The degree of anorexia in the experimental group with aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot were significantly lower than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: aroma oil inhalation was effective for relieving patients' nausea vomiting and anorexia receiving chemotherapy. Therefore, it is proposed that aroma oil inhalation should be applied as a supportive nursing arbitration method to relieve patients' nausea vomiting and anorexia who are receiving chemotherapy.
PURPOSE This study was conducted to investigate the level of nausea & vomiting, anorexia and food intake during the periods of chemotherapy and 14 days after discharge. METHOD: The subjects were 40 cancer patients(cervix cancer : 20 patients, stomach cancer: 20 patients) who had chemotherapy with Cisplatin & 5-Fu. Data were analyzed by mean & standard deviation, ANCOVA. RESULT: 1. The severity of nausea & vomiting with anorexia in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy was the highest at the 3rd day and then it gradually decreased. At the 14th day after discharge, nausea & vomiting with anorexia still remained with very low levels. 2. The amount of food intake was the lowest on the 3rd day and then gradually increased. However, it was 53.3-72.5% of the ordinary food intake on the 14th day after discharge. Calorie intake was 625.31 Kcal on the 3rd day and 1130.92 Kcal on the 7th day after discharge. 3. There were no significant differences in nausea & vomiting, anorexia, food intake, calory intake between those with cervix cancer and stomach cancer. CONCLUSION: In cancer patients nausea & vomiting and anorexia were severe and food intake was very poor during chemotherapy but afterwards they were gradually improved, but were not completely recovered on the 14th day after discharge. Therefore the nursing intervention regarding the increase of food intake was necessary during chemotherapy and after discharge.
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of nausea, vomiting, anorexia, fatigue and quality of life as well as to determine the relationship between those variables and identify the influencing factors on fatigue and quality of life in stomach cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. METHOD Subjects were 94 stomach cancer patients undergoing postoperational chemotherapy in a general hospital in Seoul. Nausea and vomiting were measured with Rhodes et al(1984) and anorexia with one 5-point item. Fatigue was measured using Lee's tool(1999) except open questions. The tool for quality of life was modified based on the Quality of Life Index by Padilla et al(1983). RESULT Subjects reported low level of fatigue(mean=3.86, range=0-10) compared with the results of previous researches and moderate quality of life(mean=2.64, range=1-4). Fatigue was positively correlated with nausea, vomiting and anorexia(r=.21 ~ .55, p<.05). Quality of life was negatively correlated with nausea, vomiting, anorexia(r= -.24 ~ -.45, p<.05) and fatigue (r=-.61, p<.01). Multiple regression analysis revealed that activity level, vomiting before admission, anorexia during chemotherapy and age explained 52.8% of the variance in fatigue. Fatigue, anorexia before admission, age and sex explained 50.5% of the variance in quality of life. Fatigue and quality of life were not influenced by the stage of disease, nor weight change. CONCLUSION These results may contribute to a better understanding of how much the side effects of anticancer drugs can affect fatigue and quality of life in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Also it is the remarkable fact that symptoms remaining after discharge such as vomiting or anorexia continued until re-admission, contributing to patients fatigue and lowered their quality of life.