Cancer Care Emergency Room: 10 Tips
Over the decades, cancer has been among the top-ranked killer diseases in the world. Research has proved the existence of many types of cancer that affect people daily and can be acute or chronic. During the advanced stages of the disease, the signs become more severe, and a medical emergency may be considered. Patients with advanced cancer require palliative care to improve the quality of life during these moments.
Specialists or qualified health practitioners provide holistic and spiritual care to patients and their family members. Patients in these situations need a regular checkup and observation in order to manage the condition well. The palliative care experts should observe the following tips to ensure that patients under their watch are recuperating well and are in safe hands.
Seek Early Treatment
Cancer cells respond to medication easily during the early stages of development. Tumor cells, for instance, can be destroyed when exposed to medicine during the early stages unlike when they have grown and multiplied over the time. FrontLine ER offers cancer screening for patients. The initial screening helps to identify the possible growth of any cancerous cells in the body.
Avoid Food Struggles
Cancer patients always have a poor appetite, and therefore they don’t normally eat well. The hospice experts should advice family members to avoid ‘food struggles’ by letting the patients be free with their food choices. Some cancer patients have a weakened digestive system and can therefore only eat when they feel like if the condition is not severe. For people who are faced with terminal illnesses, their family members always prioritize on eating.
Coping With Difficulties in Chewing Or Swallowing
Throat cancer can adversely affect the food pipe. This makes it difficult for such patients to swallow or chew comfortably. The patients will, therefore, need to be served with soft and non-irritating foods. The palliative experts should also avoid serving dry, spicy or acidic foods.
Rather, they can adopt baby food or food soaked in broth and milk. This helps to make the food soft and easy to chew or swallow. More liquid supplements should also be included to enhance easier digestion since the immunity can be weak at times.
Physical Care For Patients
As cancer cells continue to destroy the body immune system, patients frequently become weaker and find it challenging to take oral drugs. The medical team can, therefore, opt to stop administering non-essential drugs. The important medicines can then be converted to the subcutaneous route where a syringe can be used for infusion.
Hygienic Care
Proper hygiene is significant in preventing the patients from contracting other infections. Antibiotic prophylaxis is administered to patients who have a high risk of getting infections. The patients are also at the danger of device associated infections. Cancer treatment involves sharing of many devices like the chemotherapy machines. The machines can be a source of infection and germs which can worsen a patient’s condition.
Moreover, infections with community respiratory viruses cause severe disease and mortality among cancer patients. Significant effort to control and prevent the spread should always be made.
Other cancer patients usually have prolonged hospitalization which implies that they are likely to have a large number of visitors at this time. The visitors should observe hand and general hygiene to prevent any chances of infections getting to the patients.
Psychological Care
The insights of patient’s conditions should be well assessed and proper mental care given. Issues relating to death should not be topics of discussion to both family members and the patients at large. A positive spirit should always be maintained.
Social Care
Family members of cancer patients often bear and feel the discomfort and pain that they’re loved once are going through. The members, therefore, require social care and attention too from the medical team at large. They should always be aware of what’s transpiring in the health of their patients. Use of ambiguous language during this moment is highly discouraged as it may be a source of anger and frustration. The relatives should, however, be prepared for any medical conclusion from the doctors and experts.
How Is The Treatment Helpful
Many at times, if one type of cancer treatment is not working out, another suitable option may be adopted. This should be the time to weigh the benefits of starting another form of medication.
Try Out Complementary Or Alternative Medication
The medical team should find other medications that can be of help if at all no improvement is observed. The body can at times be used to certain drugs and therefore adopting alternative ones can prove to be a solution.
Spiritual Care
Issues about the patient’s religious and cultural background are essential and should be observed at the patients wish.
Generally, cancer treatments can be a nightmare to both patients and the medical team if not addressed with the seriousness and urgency that’s needed. The procedure requires a group of qualified medical practitioners who can guarantee proper medication. Visit us at FrontLine ER for appropriate screening and medication.
