Oncology nursing forum
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Oncology nursing forum · Sep 2010
The cachexia assessment scale: development and psychometric properties.
To develop a tool to identify patients with cancer who suffer from cachexia throughout all stages of the disease. ⋯ The CAS can be used as an assessment tool for cachexia in various treatment settings.
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Oncology nursing forum · Sep 2010
Practical approaches to pharmacologic management of pain in older adults with cancer.
To identify appropriate strategies for pharmacotherapeutic agents in the management of pain in older adults with cancer. ⋯ Current guidelines support appropriate management of cancer pain in older adults with specific recommendations for each class of analgesics as well as general prescribing principles.
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Oncology nursing forum · Sep 2010
Challenges in pain assessment in cognitively intact and cognitively impaired older adults with cancer.
To describe approaches to pain assessment in cognitively intact and cognitively impaired older adults with cancer. ⋯ Pain assessment is a core competency for nurses in all clinical settings. Comprehensive, individualized, and ongoing assessment provides the information necessary so that clinicians can develop interventions to relieve patients' pain and improve their quality of life. Nurses have the knowledge, skills, and tools to adequately screen and comprehensively assess pain in older adult patients, including those with cognitive impairment. By using this knowledge, nurses can change systems and practices, have a significant effect on improving pain care, and increase quality of life and function of older adults with pain.