Semiha Akin

Quality of life, symptom experience and distress of lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

UNLABELLED The diagnosis of lung cancer in the advanced stage of illness, the poor prognosis associated with the disease, and the side effects of chemotherapy all have an impact on various dimensions of quality of life (QoL). THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH The current study was designed to describe the QoL and symptom distress of lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and to explore the relationships between demographic/treatment-related characteristics and QoL. METHODS AND SAMPLE The sample consisted of 154 lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The symptom experiences and QoL of lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy were evaluated using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale and Quality of Life Index - Cancer Version. RESULTS The lung cancer patients had low QoL scores. The scores on the Health and Functioning subscale were the lowest (20.33 ± 5.59), while those of the Family subscale were the highest (27.66 ± 2.77). The most common physical symptoms experienced by lung cancer patients were lack of energy, coughing, pain, lack of appetite, and nausea, while the psychological symptoms were feeling nervous, difficulty sleeping, feeling sad, and worrying. There was a negative relationship between the symptom distress and quality of life scores (r=-0.45; p<0.000). Females and those with low income levels and performance status experienced greater symptom distress. CONCLUSIONS Lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy suffer many limitations due to the symptoms and disruptions to their QoL, arising from both the disease process and its treatment. Lung cancer patients need to be assessed regularly and supported.

Knowledge of and attitudes toward tuberculosis of Turkish nursing and midwifery students

AIM The aim of the study was to describe the level of knowledge and the attitudes of Turkish nursing and midwifery students toward tuberculosis in an attempt to understand and determine whether there is a need for improvement in nursing and midwifery education regarding tuberculosis. METHOD The research is a descriptive study conducted at four nursing or midwifery schools in Turkey. The sample was composed of 615 students who were first-, second-, third-, or fourth-year nursing and midwifery students. Data were collected using the Knowledge and Attitudes toward Treatment and Control of Tuberculosis Questionnaire. RESULTS The level of tuberculosis knowledge was poor [7.22±1.92 (range: 2-9)]. The attitudes of nursing and midwifery students toward tuberculosis were generally negative. Only 5.9% of the sample would prefer to care for patients with tuberculosis. Students who received tuberculosis lectures/education had higher levels of knowledge and more positive attitudes toward tuberculosis than their peers who did not receive such education. CONCLUSION In order to fight effectively against tuberculosis, positive attitudes toward tuberculosis must be developed among health care teams, and awareness of tuberculosis via theoretical and practical education, starting from the initial semesters of the professional education, must be increased.

A psychometric validation study of the Quality of Life and FAMCARE scales in Turkish cancer family caregivers.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to assess the psychometric validation of the Quality of Life and FAMCARE scales in Turkish family caregivers of cancer patients.MethodsThis is a descriptive study involving 100 family caregivers of cancer patients. The validity and reliability study of the scales was performed in two phases. Phase I focused on the construction of the Turkish version of the instruments and pilot testing. Phase II was the psychometric assessment of the scales.ResultsThe caregivers stated that the two questionnaires were easy to read and to understand. However, the psychometric validation performed afterwards revealed that both the ordering of the factor loadings and content of the scales were influenced by prevailing characteristics of Turkish society. Caregivers were satisfied with the care their patients received, and family concerns were the most negatively affected quality-of-life (QOL) dimensions. Factors affecting the QOL and satisfaction with care were age, co-residence, relationship to patient, gender of the patients and caregivers, stage of the disease of the patient and marital status of the caregivers.ConclusionPsychometric validation of the Quality of Life and FAMCARE scales demonstrates that these culturally adapted scales are valid and reliable tools to assess the QOL and satisfaction of Turkish family caregivers of cancer patients.

Interpretation of symptoms as a cause of delays in patients with acute myocardial infarction, Istanbul, Turkey

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess interpretation of symptoms as a cause of delays in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It was conducted at a university hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. The sample included 93 patients: 73 male, mean age 57.89 (12.13) years. Prehospital delay time ranged from 15 minutes to 10 days, with a median of 2 hours (interquartile range: 9.50). Patients waited for pain to go away (48.4%) and tried to calm down (39.8%). Most patients attributed AMI-related symptoms to a reason other than heart disease. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, the type of AMI was classified based on electrocardiography findings (odds ratio 5.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.69-15.91, P=0.004) and was independently associated with a long prehospital delay time, indicating that patients with ST segment elevation MI would seek early medical care. Misinterpretation of symptoms and misconceptions about emergency treatment during AMI cause delays in admission and may affect treatment.