Smith S
Young Oncology Unit, Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Wilmslow Road, Withington, Manchester M20 4 BX, UK.
Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2001 Mar;5(1):18-25. doi: 10.1054/ejon.2000.0119.
Constipation is suffered by over 50% of cancer patients and is regarded as one of the most distressing symptoms causing both physical and emotional distress. A need to treat constipation is often due to a failure to prevent it. There is little literature in this area and research based on clinical trials as to best treatment is virtually non-existent. It is suggested that many health-care professionals dismiss constipation as a relatively trivial problem, resulting in a lack of attention to the subject. There is a lack of consensus on the definition of constipation and confusion regarding effective methods for prevention and treatment. It could be argued that health-care professionals are more intent on monitoring the direct effects rather than the secondary effects of treatment. Since constipation is largely preventable, there is a need to highlight the importance of prevention in addition to establishing effective treatment guidelines. Oncology nurses are in an ideal position to identify cancer patients in a high-risk category and utilize preventive strategies. The study described has led to the development of evidence-based drug guidelines to be used in the prevention of constipation and acute/chronic constipation to ensure that patients receive the best treatment possible.
超过50%的癌症患者患有便秘，便秘被视为最令人痛苦的症状之一，会导致身体和情绪上的困扰。需要治疗便秘往往是因为未能预防便秘。该领域的文献很少，几乎不存在基于临床试验的关于最佳治疗方法的研究。有人认为，许多医护人员将便秘视为一个相对微不足道的问题，导致对该问题缺乏关注。对于便秘的定义缺乏共识，在预防和治疗的有效方法上也存在困惑。可以说，医护人员更倾向于监测治疗的直接效果而非间接效果。由于便秘在很大程度上是可以预防的，除了制定有效的治疗指南外，还需要强调预防的重要性。肿瘤学护士处于识别高危癌症患者并采用预防策略的理想位置。所描述的研究已促成了用于预防便秘以及急性/慢性便秘的循证药物指南的制定，以确保患者得到尽可能最佳的治疗。
