ORAL INGESTION OF ENCAPSULATED GINGER AND REPORTED SELF-CARE ACTIONS FOR THE RELIEF OF CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED NAUSEA AND VOMITING.
Contributors: University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 284
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Nausea and vomiting occur in 89-90% of patients who receive chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer. Nausea and vomiting pose problems for the patient's comfort level, dietary intake, and activity level, as well as pose challenges to the patient's self-care agency.

The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to ascertain if selected nursing actions (the scheduled administration of Compazine injection and encapsulated ginger) relieved the chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting that is experienced by patients with leukemia; (b) to ascertain if any side effects are associated with the use of Compazine injection and encapsulated ginger; and (c) to describe those self-care actions that patients with leukemia utilized in the clinical setting to relieve their nausea and vomiting.

A double-blind, randomized pair, placebo controlled design was used. The experimental group consisted of 20 patients with leukemia who received scheduled doses of encapsulated ginger with Compazine injection; the control group consisted of 21 similar patients who received scheduled doses of a placebo with Compazine injection. All doses were given over a two-day period. At the end of each treatment day, patients marked an instrument that measured relief of symptoms. At the conclusion of the study, patient-reported self-care actions were recorded.

Significant findings were that the experimental group reported less severity and duration of nausea. There were no significant differences in terms of severity, frequency, and duration of vomiting; comfort level; dietary intake; or activity level. No significant side effects attributed only to encapsulated ginger at the prescribed dosage levels were found. Though patients implemented a variety of measures for nausea and vomiting, a large percentage of patients was unaware of such actions or did not report them.

Based on the findings, recommendations for future research included investigations to determine the therapeutic effects of ginger with different cancer patient populations, in different dosages, and in various patient care settings. Antiemetic protocols involving scheduled Compazine need to be evaluated in relationship to patient size, age, and level of debilitation. The therapeutic effects of placebos need continuing investigation. Investigations related to nausea, vomiting, comfort care, and self-care should be continued.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-08, Section: B, page: 3297.

Thesis (D.S.N.)--UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, 1986.

School code: 0005.