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Determining the symptoms and coping methods of patients at home after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

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Abstract

Aim

This descriptive study was conducted to determine symptoms experienced at home in the early period by patients who received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), identify coping behaviors used by the patients in the management of symptoms and assess the quality of life of these patients.

Method

The study included 200 patients who had received HSCT at a private hospital in Kocaeli in Turkey between October 2017 and November 2018 and been discharged. The data of the study were collected by using a patient information and interview form developed by the researcher, the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30.

Results

The mean age of the patients was approximately 51, 39% (n = 78) of the patients were female, 61% (n = 122) were male, and the vast majority (82%) were married. The three most frequently experienced symptoms among the patients after being discharged were identified as pain (63%), weakness (48%), and loss of appetite (43%). It was found that the vast majority of the patients complied with coping behaviors reported in the literature, but these behaviors were partially effective. Clinical diagnosis, type of transplant, status of re-hospitalization of the being discharged, and number of problems experienced were identified as variables that were significantly effective on the treatment-related symptom experiences and many dimensions of the quality of life of the patients (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

It was determined that the patients who were included in this study experienced various symptoms on different levels and at different frequencies. Regarding the effectiveness of the approaches used by the patients in coping with the symptoms they experienced, it was determined that the approaches they used to cope with nausea-vomiting, fever and insomnia were effective, and those they used for weight loss and anxiety were ineffective.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anadolu Medical Center, Cumhuriyet Mahallesi, 2255 Sokak, No: 3 Gebze, 41400, Kocaeli, Turkey

    Kader Caliskan

  2. Istanbul University – Cerrahpasa Florence Nightingale Nursing Faculty, Abide-i Hürriyet Cad, Caglayan 34403, Istanbul, Turkey

    Gulbeyaz Can

Authors
  1. Kader Caliskan
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  2. Gulbeyaz Can
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Contributions

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), which can cause morbidity and mortality in the short and long term, and cause toxic effects in many tissues, organs and systems, is a severe process for patients and their relatives. The symptoms seen as a result of the treatment can be overlooked due to the discomfort experienced by the patient in talking about this issue and the inability to express its side effects. For these reasons, it is very significant to diagnose possible problems early in all transplant types. In addition to the symptoms experienced after HSCT, our study is valuable since it contributes to the evaluation of the variables affecting these symptoms, the coping behaviors used by patients in the management of symptoms and evaluation of their quality of their life, and determination of suggestions that will led to development of nursing practices and the planning of appropriate needs, which will increase the adaptation of the patient and his family.

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Correspondence to Kader Caliskan.

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Caliskan, K., Can, G. Determining the symptoms and coping methods of patients at home after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Support Care Cancer 30, 5881–5890 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-022-07017-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-022-07017-2

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