Development of death education training content for adult cancer patients: A mixed methods study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this mixed methods study was to develop science-based content for a systematic death education training system based on the needs of adult cancer patients. The study contained two parts: survey development and Delphi survey. First, a small sample test was conducted to check the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Next, this questionnaire was applied to investigate adult cancer patients' needs for death education. Then, we invited experts in the fields of nursing management, clinical medicine, clinical nursing and psychological care to carry out two rounds of Delphi consultations to revise the training content. BACKGROUND: Death education is often combined with hospice care, which is based on a clear 6-month survival period. However, the survival of adult cancer patients has improved with improved cancer diagnoses and treatments, and death education should be initiated before the dying stage. At the same time, patients' needs for medical information become increasingly important in daily clinical practice. Therefore, a death education programme based on adult cancer patients' needs was developed to help these patients reflect on the meanings of life and death. DESIGN: A mixed methods study. METHODS: During the survey development period (from April 2017-September 2017), a small sample test (n = 150) was conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the questionnaire on death education needs of adult cancer patients. This questionnaire was developed based on a literature review and discussion among the study group. Next, 324 adults with cancer, recruited from a three-level cancer hospital in Tianjin, China, were surveyed to analyse their needs for death education, using the questionnaire that had been tested in the pretest period. Finally, a Delphi survey was conducted from October 2017-January 2018. A panel of experts (n = 23) recruited from major hospitals, nursing schools and universities in China in the fields of clinical nursing, nursing management, clinical medicine and psychological care took part in the study to revise the training contents based on the investigation results. RESULTS: The reliability and validity of results based on the small sample test revealed that the Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the half-degree of reliability of the questionnaire were 0.924 and 0.951, respectively. This demonstrated that the questionnaire had high reliability. The KMO was 0.756 and the Bartlett Test of Sphericity showed p < 0.001, indicating that the factor analysis was justified in the sample. Eight components with eigenvalues greater than one were retained by the factor analysis. The investigation of the patients' needs for death education showed that the overall score of patients' needs was 3.60 ± 0.709 points (needs were measured on a scale from 1-5, where 5 indicates high needs), and there were high demands for education regarding "cancer patient life reviews," "death-related ethical issues" and "to leave peacefully." Data from expert panel members were collected in two rounds over a 4-month period, and consensus was achieved in the second Delphi round. The final death education contents of adult cancer patients contained four sections: cancer, death, psychology and practice. These were divided into 54 teaching topics to be included in 14 courses. CONCLUSIONS: The adult cancer patient death education training content devised in this study is science-based, practical and can be used as a guide for clinical nurses to provide high-quality care to adult cancer patients. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses could become more involved in providing death education to adult cancer patients and their families. Further research is needed to explore the applicability of the training content and to develop the content according to changing times and patients' needs.

Validation of the Chinese version of EORTC QLQ-BM22 in patients with bone metastases.

PURPOSE: Our aim is to test the validity, reliability, and acceptability of the Chinese version of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Bone Metastases 22 (EORTC QLQ-BM22) module to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with bone metastases in China. METHODS: Patients with histological confirmation of malignancy and bone metastases from Tianjin Cancer Institution and Hospital from June 2013 to April 2014 were enrolled in this study. All patients self-administered the EORTC QLQ-BM22 and the EORTC QLQ-C30. The Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) was performed to evaluate scores. The reliability and validity tests of the questionnaires were based on Cronbach's α coefficients, Pearson correlation test, and Wilcoxon rank sum nonparametric test. RESULTS: Internal consistency reliabilities of all the four scales were acceptable. Scales measuring similar HRQOL aspects were found to correlate with one another between EORTC QLQ-BM22 and EORTC QLQ-C30, but differences still existed. Significant differences were demonstrated in the scores of all four subscales of the QLQ-BM22 between the two KPS subgroups (KPS ≤ 80; KPS > 80). Meanwhile, the compliance for item completion of the QLQ-BM22 was satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of EORTC QLQ-BM22 is a reliable and valid instrument, which is appropriate for measuring the HRQOL of patients with bone metastases in China.

Prospective analysis of the prognostic value of prenatal MRI measurement of cystic volume ratio in fetal congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation.

BACKGROUND: The cystic volume ratio (CVR) has been used to predict the prognosis of fetal lung disease, but most of them are reported on ultrasound. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of prenatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurement of CVR in fetal congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM). METHODS: To collect follow-up data on postnatally confirmed CCAM fetuses. According to the size of CVR, they were divided into a CVR ≥1.26 group and a CVR <1.26 group. The lesions were divided into macrocystic (diameter ≥5 mm) and microcystic (diameter <5 mm) types according to the size of cysts in the lesions. The collected contents also included the location of the lesions, prenatal symptoms, postpartum clinical prognosis, and pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: In all, 51 cases were collected. Of these, 11 were placed into the CVR ≥1.26 group, and 40 were placed into the CVR <1.26 group; meanwhile 34 were classified as macrocystic lesions and 17 as microcystic lesions; 7 cases involved a terminated pregnancy. In the CVR ≥1.26 group, 81.82% (9/11) and 36.36% (4/11) had displacement of large vessels/heart and increased amniotic fluid, respectively; meanwhile, in the CVR <1.26 group, these phenomena occurred in 35.00% (14/40) and 2.50% (1/40) of cases (P=0.006, 0.010). Additionally, 83.33% (5/6) of live infants in the CVR ≥1.26 group had dyspnea, a significantly higher proportion than the 21.05% (8/38) in the CVR <1.26 group (P=0.011). Moreover, 45.45% (5/11) of the cases in the CVR ≥1.26 group were terminated pregnancies, a significantly higher proportion than the 5.26% (2/38) in the CVR <1.26 group (P=0.001). Finally, the CVR of macrocystic lesions was 0.55 (0.34-1.31), which was significantly greater than the 0.34 (0.17-0.57) of microcystic lesions (P=0.022). Logistical regression analysis identified that CVR is an independent factor associated with the postpartum prognosis of CCAM. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal symptoms and postpartum prognosis were worse than CVR <1.26 when fetal CVR ≥1.26 measured by prenatal MRI; and the measurement of CVR of CCAM through prenatal MRI has considerable practical value in prenatal consultation, evaluation, and postpartum treatment.

Usefulness of prenatal magnetic resonance imaging in differential diagnosis of fetal congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation and bronchopulmonary sequestration.

BACKGROUND: Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) and bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS) are the most common lung diseases in fetuses. There are differences in the prognosis and treatment of CCAM and BPS, and the clinical diagnosis and treatment plan is usually prepared prior to birth. Therefore, it is quite necessary to make a clear diagnosis before delivery. CCAM and BPS have similar imaging features, and the differentiation mainly relies on the difference in supply vessels. However, it is hard to distinguish them due to invisible supplying vessels on some images. AIM: To explore the application value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the differential diagnosis of fetal CCAM and BPS. METHODS: Data analysis for 32 fetuses with CCAM and 14 with BPS diagnosed by prenatal MRI at Huzhou Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital and Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital from January 2017 to January 2020 was performed to observe the source blood vessels of lesions and their direction. Pathological confirmation was completed through CT examination and/or operations after birth. RESULTS: After birth, 31 cases after birth were confirmed to be CCAM, and 15 were confirmed to be BPS. The CCAM group consisted of 21 macrocystic cases and 10 microcystic cases. In 18 cases, blood vessels were visible in lesions. Blood supply of the pulmonary artery could be traced in eight cases, and in 10 cases, only vessels running from the midline to the lateral down direction were observed. No lesions were found in four macrocystic cases and one microcystic case with CCAM through CT after birth; two were misdiagnosed by MRI, and three were misdiagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography. The BPS group consisted of 12 intralobar cases and three extralobar cases. Blood vessels were visible in lesions of nine cases, in four of which, the systemic circulation blood supply could be traced, and in five of which, only vessels running from the midline to the lateral up direction were observed. Three were misdiagnosed by MRI, and four were misdiagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography. CONCLUSION: CCAM and BPS can be clearly diagnosed based on the origin of blood vessels, and correct diagnosis can be made according to the difference in the direction of the blood vessels, but it is hard distinguish microcystic CCAM and BPS without supplying vessels. In some CCAM cases, mainly the macrocystic ones, the lesions may disappear after birth.

[Acupuncture at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) as adjuvant treatment for pneumonia of phlegm-heat blocking lung type in children: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) as adjuvant treatment for pneumonia of phlegm-heat blocking lung type in children. METHODS: A total of 80 children with pneumonia of phlegm-heat blocking lung type were randomized into an observation group (40 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (40 cases). In the control group, routine anti-infection and symptomatic and supportive treatment were given. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, acupuncture was applied at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) in the observation group, once every 2 days, 4 times were required. Before and after treatment, the score of clinical symptoms and signs and level of serum hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were observed in the two groups. The antifebrile time, lung moist rale disappearance time, duration of antibacterial drugs and hospital stays were recorded, and the clinical therapeutic effect was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of clinical symptoms and signs and levels of serum hs-CRP were reduced in the two groups (P<0.01), and the changes of scores of fever, cough and lung moist rale, secondary symptom score, total score of clinical symptoms and signs and level of serum hs-CRP in the observation group were larger than those in the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). The antifebrile time, lung moist rale disappearance time, duration of antibacterial drugs and hospital stays in the observation group were shorter than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 87.2% (34/39) in the observation group, which was superior to 65.0% (26/40) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) as adjuvant treatment can relieve clinical symptoms, shorten duration of antibacterial drugs and hospital stays for children with pneumonia of phlegm-heat blocking lung type.