Nursing Care of the Cancer Patient
This term refers to the lowest point that blood cell counts reach after a chemotherapy session, typically occurring 7 to 14 days post-treatment, during which the patient is at maximum risk for infection.
What is the nadir?
While these medications provide rapid pain relief and decrease joint inflammation in RA, they do not halt or delay structural joint damage, unlike Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs).
What are NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs)? [1]
To prevent solid organ transplant rejection, the nurse must educate the patient that their timeline for taking prescribed immunosuppressive medications looks like this.
What is for the rest of their lives?
Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors like sildenafil, used to treat erectile dysfunction, are absolutely contraindicated in patients taking this class of cardiovascular medication due to the risk of profound hypotension.
What are nitrates (e.g., nitroglycerin)?
This is the primary lifestyle and comfort recommendation for a cancer patient experiencing severe chemotherapy-induced mucositis.
What is using a soft-bristled toothbrush and rinsing with a non-alcoholic/saline solution (avoiding alcohol-based mouthwashes)?
This first-line, conventional synthetic DMARD targets rapidly replicating cells and acts as a gold-standard therapy for RA, though it carries strict warnings regarding teratogenicity and bone marrow suppression.
What is methotrexate
This cyclic polypeptide immunosuppressant prevents organ rejection by inhibiting normal T-cell immune responses, but nurses must warn patients to avoid drinking grapefruit juice while taking it.
What is cyclosporine
Nurses must counsel women taking combination oral contraceptives that this specific lifestyle habit dramatically elevates their risk for serious cardiovascular events, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or stroke.
What is smoking tobacco?
If a nurse suspects a peripheral IV infusion of a vesicant chemotherapy agent has leaked into the surrounding tissue, this is the very first action they must take.
What is immediately stopping the infusion?
Patients taking this antimalarial drug, often prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, must get baseline and annual eye checkups due to the risk of irreversible retinal damage.
What is hydroxychloroquine?
Long-term administration of these common systemic anti-inflammatory agents can cause osteoporosis, hyperglycemia, fluid retention, delayed wound healing, and adrenal suppression.
What are corticosteroids/glucocorticoids (e.g., prednisone)?
This class of medications, including finasteride, treats Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) by blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT, but must not be handled by pregnant women due to risks to a male fetus.
What are 5-alpha reductase inhibitors?
A cancer patient with a platelet count below 50,000/mm³ requires bleeding precautions. This routine nursing care element should be completely avoided to prevent internal trauma.
What are rectal temperatures, suppositories, or intramuscular injections (IM)?
Biologic DMARDs like etanercept and infliximab neutralise this specific pro-inflammatory cytokine, meaning patients must be screened for latent tuberculosis (TB) before starting therapy.
What is Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)?
This calcineurin inhibitor is highly effective at preventing organ transplant rejection but requires close monitoring due to its narrow therapeutic index and high risk for nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity.
What is tacrolimus
When initiating estrogen-only Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for menopausal symptoms, this specific patient demographic is completely excluded due to a drastically increased risk of endometrial cancer.
What are women who still have an intact uterus (estrogen-only without progesterone induces endometrial hyperplasia)?
This oncologic emergency results in massive cellular destruction, throwing off an electrolyte imbalance marked by hyperuricemia, hyperkalemia, and hyperphosphatemia.
What is Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS)?
This oral DMARD requires strict category X birth control compliance and is strictly contraindicated in individuals with preexisting chronic liver disease due to its severe hepatotoxicity black box warning.
What is leflunomide
This cytotoxic purine antimetabolite immunosuppressant requires regular monitoring of complete blood counts (CBC) due to the serious risk of severe bone marrow suppression and leukopenia.
What is azathioprine?
This selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) is widely used to prevent and treat breast cancer in women but carries a significant adverse effect profile, including hot flashes and a high risk of thromboembolism.
What is tamoxifen?