Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
-
Support Care Cancer · Feb 2009
Clinical TrialPalonosetron (Aloxi) and dexamethasone for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting in patients receiving multiple-day chemotherapy.
The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of palonosetron combined with dexamethasone in prevention of acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients receiving multiple-day chemotherapy and the efficacy of a second dose of palonosetron in treating breakthrough emesis. ⋯ The present results appear to be encouraging in terms of complete prophylaxis of CINV and treatment of breakthrough emesis in the setting of multiple-day chemotherapy.
-
Support Care Cancer · Feb 2009
Antimicrobial chlorhexidine/silver sulfadiazine-coated central venous catheters versus those uncoated in patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
Only a minimum is known about clinical effect of antimicrobial-coated central venous catheters (CVC) in stem cell transplantation settings, where CVC-related infections impose major threat to severely immunocompromised patients. ⋯ Lower number of patients with fever, days with fever, and lower number of patients with positive and repeatedly positive CVC blood cultures indicates less intensive antibiotic and antipyretic treatment probably needed in neutropenic allo-transplanted patients with indwelling antimicrobial-coated CVCs. Real impact on antibiotic consumption should be verified in large randomized study.
-
Support Care Cancer · Feb 2009
Wide variation in content of inpatient do-not-resuscitate order forms used at National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in the United States.
Determining resuscitation status (RS) for inpatients with advanced cancer is emotionally charged and often conflictual. Available data suggest that clinicians have inconsistent practices when establishing and documenting do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders. Lack of standardization may contribute to ineffective and unclear discussions regarding RS. To inform revisions of DNR order forms used at one comprehensive cancer center, we surveyed National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers (NCICCs) to determine if a standardized approach to documenting inpatient DNR orders exists. ⋯ NCICCs do not have a standardized approach to establishing and documenting DNR orders. Lack of standardization may reflect the absence of a common understanding of these difficult issues which may contribute to unclear and ineffective communication when addressing RS.