Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: December | Volume: 9 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 104-109
Knowledge Regarding Prevention of Infections in Patients Receiving Cancer Chemotherapy among Nursing Students
Anil Vijayan1, Ajaya Ghosh R U2, Sarika M L3
1Care Leader, Shieh Homecare, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
2Senior Nursing Officer, All India Institute of Medical Sciences –Bhubaneswar, Patrapada, Bhubaneswar, Odisha -751019
3Tutor, SUM College of Nurisng, Siksha O Anusandhan Deemed to be University, K-08, Ghatikia, Bhubaneswar, Odisha-751003
Corresponding Author: Ajaya Ghosh R U
ABSTRACT
Cancer is a public health burden in which there is uncontrolled tissue growth which results from an imbalance between cell division and apoptosis. The therapeutic agents used to treat cancer leads to adverse effects in the body. Most adverse effects of chemotherapeutic agents are caused by either toxic effects on specific organs or by damaging to rapidly dividing normal cell population, including hair roots, the intestine, bone marrow and lining of mouth among which the serious complication-infection-is mainly due to action of chemotherapeutic agents on bone marrow. Infections associated with cancer treatment are increasing and are often serious, highlighting the need for a program to improve infection control and appropriate antibiotic management in these high-risk patients.
Materials and methods: It is descriptive study design and data collected from 60 samples by using non probability convenient sampling technique. The subjects were asked to answer a structured knowledge questionnaire with demographic data. The collected data analyzed through the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science).
Results: Among the study participants maximum number of subjects 50% were in the age group of below 20 years and around 95%were females. Among the 60 subjects 40(66.7%) had moderately adequate knowledge, 20(33.3%) of them had inadequate knowledge and no one had adequate knowledge. Exposure to mass media was significantly associated with their scores.
Conclusion: The mean knowledge score of the students are 40.93%. Findings of the study shows an association between the knowledge score of nursing students with demographic variable such as exposure to mass media.
Key words: Knowledge, Prevention, Infections, Cancer, Chemotherapy, Nursing Students