Effects on Alleviation of Skin Discomfort for Patients Receiving Targeted Therapy: An Evidence-Based Approach

Ke, Ya-Ting

Monday, 22 July 2013

Ya-Ting Ke, RN, PhD
Nursing Department, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
Li-Chien Yang, MSN, RN
Nursing Department, Chi-mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
Su-Chen Hsu, MS, RN
Department of Nursing, Chi Mei medical center, Tainan, Taiwan

Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to know targeted therapy drugs still cause skin irritations.

Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to know oatmeal lotion can improve skin conditions caused by targeted therapies.

Purpose: Using an evidence-based nursing model to determine the effectiveness of oatmeal lotion in improving skin conditions caused by targeted therapies.

Methods: The five steps of evidence-based practice were applied to assess and manage skin conditions. The subjects were 13 Hematology/Oncology ward patients in a medical center in southern Taiwan receiving targeted therapies that caused skin-related side effects in them. The three variables include: rash severity measured by visual analogue score (VAS), rash-covered areas, and itching spots.

Results: After a 4-week intervention of oatmeal lotion, overall VAS scores dropped from 15.5 to 4.2 with overall response rate of 81.2%.

Conclusion: Effective dose with the oatmeal lotion is useful in managing and improving skin conditions caused by targeted chemotherapies, achieving a satisfying quality of life for patients and improving patients' body image.

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