Stress and other factors associated with colorectal cancer outpatients with temporary colostomies.

This study investigated stress and other factors associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) outpatients with temporary colostomies in Taiwan. Temporary colostomies have been incorporated as a defecation alternative to maintain physical function and are accompanied by chemotherapy/radiotherapy in CRC patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and a convenience sampling approach was adopted to recruit 110 discharged CRC patients with temporary colostomies from a medical centre in southern Taiwan. The mean score of the Stress of Colostomy Patients Scale was 66.49 (out of 120). Demographic attributes were found to have an impact on different stress types. Stress of changes in familial and social interaction was affected by age, employment status, educational level and colostomy assistant caregiver. The stress of colostomy care was impacted by the factor of employment status, and the stress of changes of self-concept was impacted by the factors of educational level and self-perception of disease. The results provide post-operative information regarding stress and stress types among CRC patients with temporary colostomies, serve as a reference for clinical assessment, practice and care, and generate up-to-date knowledge and comprehension of learning how to live with a temporary colostomy.

[Using Acupressure to Improve Abdominal Bloating in a Hemicolectomy Patient: A Nursing Experience].

This article describes a nursing experience applying the protocol of bilateral Zusanli (ST-36) acupressure to reduce abdominal bloating in a colon cancer patient who had undergone a right hemicolectomy. The period of care was between November 13 and November 23, 2014. Data were collected through direct care, interviews, observation, and physical assessment. The main health problems of the patient included anxiety, surgical wound pain, and abdominal bloating. We provided pre- and postoperative routine nursing care, wound pain management, and the protocol of Zusanli (ST-36) acupressure for reducing abdominal bloating. Results of care recorded the first passage of flatus and intestinal motility during the second postoperative day, with no complaints of bloating from the fourth postoperative day. The subject exhibited a relaxed mood and slept soundly following each acupressure session. Furthermore, the subject reported experiencing no abdominal bloating during the week following discharge, during which he continued to follow the acupressure protocol. This article provides support via an instance of nursing care for the effectiveness of the Zusanli (ST-36) acupressure in improving abdominal bloating and thus reducing the complications of hemicolectomy surgery.