Irene Eriksson

Older women's experiences of suffering from urinary tract infections

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To describe and explore older womens experiences of having had repeated urinary tract infections (UTIs). BACKGROUND UTIs are one of the most common bacterial infections among older women. Approximately one-third of very old women suffer from at least one UTI each year. Despite the high incidence of UTI, little is known about the impact of UTI on health and daily life in older women. DESIGN A qualitative descriptive design. METHODS A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with 20 Swedish women aged 67-96 years who suffered from repeated UTIs the preceding year. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS Two main themes were identified: being in a state of manageable suffering and depending on alleviation. Being in a state of manageable suffering was described in terms of experiencing physical and psychological health problems, struggling to deal with the illness and being restricted in daily life. Depending on alleviation was illustrated in terms of having access to relief but also receiving inadequate care. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that UTIs are a serious health problem among older women that not only affects both physical and mental health but also has serious social consequences. The women in this study described the physical and psychological health problems, struggling to deal with the illness, being restricted in daily life, depending on access to relief and receiving inadequate care. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE It is important to improve the knowledge about how UTI affects the health of older women. This knowledge may help nurses develop strategies to support these women. One important part in the supportive strategies is that nurses can educate these women in self-care.

A prospective exploration of symptom burden clusters in women with breast cancer during chemotherapy treatment

PurposeThe aim was to prospectively map symptom clusters in patients with stage I–IIIa breast cancer during standard chemotherapy treatment in a randomised study.MethodsParticipants completed the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) at baseline, day 12 after the first and third cycle of FEC 75 or FEC 100, and day 12 after the last cycle of Taxotere. Cut-off values for symptom scores, a mean value based on each individual reporting a symptom including occurrence, frequency, severity and distress for inclusion in analysis, were determined.ResultsThe symptom burden cluster analysis was conducted in two steps and included symptoms with high frequency and high levels of distress. The factor analysis revealed three symptom clusters; physical, gastro (phys/gastro) and emotional, with core symptoms that remained stable over time. The most prevalent symptoms for the total sample during all cycles were as follows: lack of energy (range between 48 and 90%), feeling sad (48–79%), difficulty sleeping (54–78%), difficulty concentrating (53–74%), worrying (54–74%) and pain (29–67%).ConclusionIn summary, we have prospectively established that symptom clusters remain stable over time with a basis of core symptoms. This knowledge will aid in the development of effective core symptom-focused interventions to minimise symptom burden for patients treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer.