Effect of rapid rehabilitation nursing on recovery rate of gastrointestinal function and quality of life in elderly patients undergoing radical resection of colorectal cancer
Authors: Wu Lixia , Chen Xiaoling , Sun Lin 
Published: December 2021

Objective: To analyze the effect of rapid rehabilitation nursing on the recovery rate of gastrointestinal function and quality of life in elderly patients undergoing radical resection of colorectal cancer. Methods: 120 elderly patients with colorectal cancer admitted to our hospital
from January 2018 to February 2020 were divided into two groups, the routine group (n = 60) was given routine nursing intervention, and the rapid group (n = 60) was given rapid rehabilitation nursing intervention. Postoperative general condition (including postoperative ambulation, exhausting,
defecation, hospital stay and complications), pain degree score, abdominal distension score, gastrointestinal reaction score and changes of serum inflammatory factors were recorded in the two groups. Differences in quality of life were recorded at 1 and 6 months after surgery. Results: The
general conditions, such as first ambulation, first exhausting, defecation and hospital stay were shorter in the rapid group than those in the routine group, and the incidence rate of postoperative complications was lower in the rapid group than that in the routine group (P<0.05). At 6h
after operation, abdominal distension score and gastrointestinal reaction score were similar in the two groups (P>0.05); at 24h after operation, abdominal distension score in the rapid group was lower than that in the routine group (P<0.05), and gastrointestinal reaction score was similar
to that in the routine group (P>0.05); at 48h after operation, abdominal distension score and gastrointestinal reaction score in the rapid group were lower than that in the routine group (P<0.05); at 72h after operation, abdominal distension score in the rapid group was lower than that
in the routine group (P<0.05), and gastrointestinal reaction score was similar to that in the routine group (P>0.05). At 24h, 48h and 72h after operation, the levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in the two groups were higher than those before operation (P<0.05), and the levels of IL-6 and IL-8
in the rapid group were lower than those in the routine group (P<0.05). At 2h after operation, the VAS scores of the two groups were similar (P>0.05). At 6h,12h and 24h after operation, the VAS scores of the rapid group were lower than those of the routine group (P<0.05). At 1 month
after operation, the scores of cognitive function, role function and emotional function in the rapid group were higher than those in the routine group (P<0.05), and the scores of physical function, social function and general health status were relatively similar to those in the routine
group (P>0.05); at 6 months after operation, the scores of ORTCQLQ-c30 in the rapid group were higher than those in the routine group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Rapid rehabilitation nursing can promote the postoperative recovery of gastrointestinal function, alleviate the degree of pain,
reduce the incidence of complications and improve the quality of life in elderly patients undergoing radical resection of colorectal cancer.