Atay S
Hacettepe University Oncology Hospital, Department of Nursing, Ankara, Turkey.
J BUON. 2011 Oct-Dec;16(4):751-8.
To describe the prevalence of symptoms, their characteristics and distress and to define symptom clusters occurring among children and adolescents receiving chemotherapy or having completed their treatment.
Data were collected using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale in patients receiving chemotherapy and those who had completed it. Demographic data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the researchers, whilst information over the disease status and treatment regimens was obtained from medical records. Cluster analysis techniques were used to identify symptom clusters.
The most common symptoms were lack of appetite, feeling nervous and lack of energy in children/adolescents who were receiving chemotherapy. Feeling nervous, feeling sad and lack of energy were the most common symptoms in children/adolescents who had completed chemotherapy. The most distressing symptoms were nausea, hair loss and vomiting in patients aged 10-18 years, being on treatment. Five symptom clusters were identified in children and adolescents who were both undergoing or being off chemotherapy.
Children/adolescents receiving chemotherapy experience multiple symptoms that persist over time. Symptom distress is relatively higher among children/ adolescents undergoing chemotherapy. Knowledge from this study can provide a starting point to investigate the stability of symptom clusters in different age groups and over various periods of time.
描述症状的患病率、特征和痛苦程度，并确定接受化疗或已完成治疗的儿童和青少年中出现的症状群。
使用纪念症状评估量表收集接受化疗的患者和已完成化疗的患者的数据。使用研究人员编制的问卷收集人口统计学数据，同时从医疗记录中获取疾病状态和治疗方案的信息。采用聚类分析技术识别症状群。
在接受化疗的儿童/青少年中，最常见的症状是食欲不振、感到紧张和缺乏精力。在已完成化疗的儿童/青少年中，感到紧张、感到悲伤和缺乏精力是最常见的症状。在10至18岁正在接受治疗的患者中，最令人痛苦的症状是恶心、脱发和呕吐。在正在接受化疗或已停止化疗的儿童和青少年中识别出五个症状群。
接受化疗的儿童/青少年会经历多种长期存在的症状。正在接受化疗的儿童/青少年的症状痛苦程度相对较高。本研究的结果可为调查不同年龄组和不同时间段症状群的稳定性提供一个起点。
