• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.659-667
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• 2001

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore some new therapies to control clinical symptoms of patients with terminal cancer by using external applications. Methods: We investigated some literatures on the external applications for cancer patients and made diagrams. Results: The results are summarized as follows. External applications are one of the traditional oriental medical methods and these are effective for pain control, ascites & pleural effusion and palpitable mass. It has some characteristics which are simple, safe and popular, but we must pay attention carefully to allergic reaction and toxicity in using external applications. The therapeutic portion of external applications are decided by discipline of syndrome and disease differentiation, and the prescriptions are composed of antitumor herb medicines. Conclusions: From the above results, it is expected that external applications are useful to improve clinical symptoms and quality of life(QOL) for patients with terminal cancer who cannot intake foods or medicines.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of aroma foot baths on stress and sleep in terminally ill cancer patients. Methods: We performed a non-randomized intervention-control study with 30 terminal cancer patients who were admitted to a palliative care unit. Participants responded to questionnaires on stress and sleep before and after a 5-day interval. The intervention group received a daily aroma foot bath for 5 days. We performed multivariate regression analysis to examine the changes in outcomes on stress and sleep for the intervention group compared to the control group. Results: The differences in baseline characteristics between groups, excluding subjective economic status and general weakness, did not show statistical significance. In contrast to the control group, the intervention group showed a statistically significant change in physical stress and psychological stress levels, but significant changes were not observed in quality of sleep. Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in physical stress (P=0.068) and psychological stress (P=0.021). Conclusion: Aroma foot baths are effective for reducing stress in patients hospitalized with terminal cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to increase our understanding of the terminal cancer patients and their families concerns. I analyzed the counseling contents of terminal cancer patients and their relatives who referred to hospice office. Method: Data was collected from January 2004 to November 2004. During the counseling, I took notes the key points and contents. 109 patients and/or their families's counseling records were analyzed with the descriptive statistics and content analysis. Result: 73.4% of patients knew their current terminally ill status. The mobility of 86.2% of the patients was worse than ECOG 3 level. Patients have uncontrolled pain(28.4%), emotional distress(55.0%), and physical distress(49.5%). Caregivers of the patients were spouse(46.8%), sons and daughters(24.8%). Family members had problems to tell the bad news to their family cancer patient. 95.4% of the patient and family members was informed about the hospice and palliative care services, and 35.8% of them was referred to the hospice and palliative organizations. Frequently asked questions were 'what is hospice?', 'how much is the cost of hospice services?' etc. Conclusion: Care planning for terminal cancer patients must include patient. Also, professionals should consider and offer accessible, effective and empathetic counseling services to patients and families.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.543-553
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• 2002

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare symptoms, medical therapies, and nursing interventions with terminal cancer patients during the last four weeks of their lives in a hospice unit and general units. Method: For the descriptive survey study, data were collected by reviewing the medical records of 243 patients who died of terminal cancer at K hospital in Seoul. The data was analyzed by using Chi-square test and t-test. Result: The study findings are summarized as follows: There were higher frequencies in physical symptoms of constipation, itching sensation, pain, sleeping disturbance, soreness and dysuria for those patients in the hospice unit than those patient in general units. All emotional symptoms were recorded significantly higher for those patients in the hospice unit than those in general units. Regarding the major medical interventions, pain management was used more significantly for those patients in the hospice unit, but antibiotic therapy and resuscitation were used more significantly for those patients in general units. Conclusion: The hospice unit provided more comprehensive nursing interventions including psychological, spiritual, and family cares as well as physiological care for terminal cancer patients. The facts showed that those patients who would need hospice care in general units should be referred to the hospice unit at an appropriate time.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.445-456
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• 2003

Purpose: This study attempted to propose the basic framework for spiritual nursing intervention by understanding live spiritual experiences of terminal cancer patients. The study duration was from July 2002 to January 2003, and the subjects of this study were patients who were expected to live less than six months. The number of subjects was six and the average time of each interview was about an hour. Method: The data were analyzed using the method of phenomenological study analysis, which Colaizzi (1978) proposed. Result: Through live spiritual experiences. terminal cancer patients showed complex emotion about the Absolute, human, disease, and death: depended on the Absolute through recognizing death and spiritual acknowledgement: recollected the past life: accepted death believing salvation and immortality: recovered relationships with others through forgiving and reconciling with the Absolute and neighbors. Also, they pursued the meaning of pain. death, and life while feeling pain: demanded love and concern to the Absolute and neighbors: had a sense of futility about life and a hope for the future life: transcendental energy towards the world after death. Wishing to have a peaceful end to life. they felt peaceful and comfortable. Conclusion: Terminal cancer patients want to meet a peaceful end to life with a hope for the future and accept the meaning of death with peace and comfort minds(##-minds), which will allow them to carry on peaceful and satisfactory days for the rest of their lives. Thus, it is very important for caregivers to let them have spiritual experiences and care for them.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.56-64
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• 1998

Purpose : Seoul National University Hospital developed a group counseling program for the terminal cancer patients and their family members. This program consists of each of doctor, nutritionist, nurse, pharmacist, and social worker to provide them with the information and to enhance their ability to cope with terminal cancer. This research aims to introduce this new program per se, and to appreciate its validity and applicability to the terminal cancer patients and their family members by analyzing the concerns and specific questions of the participants. Methods : The methodological approach employed in this research is 1996 content analysis of the group counseling reports, and interview of the 312 participants. The analysis includes the general characteristics of the subjects, family relationship to the patients, times of attendance to the group session, source of information to the program. Results : The participants consist of 261 family members(84%) and 51 patients(16%). Majority responded to the program with a single-attendance. Diagnosis are mainly lung cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer. The ratio of participants by family members is decreased in the order of spouse, children, daughter-in-law, brothers and sisters, and parents. The source of information to the program is largely through medical staff(69%) as compared with posters in the hospital (26%). The participants are interested primarily in the medical information. Their interests are various, such as pain control, patient care, nutrition, psychosocial problem and etc. Conclusion : This program is characterized largely as a family-supporting program which primarily offers information for terminal cancer. This program is a sort of a hospice program, which maximizes the present quality of living of the terminal cancer patients as long as life continues by encouraging them to live with terminal cancer. Thus, this group program can be employed as an active support network for the patients and their family. In order to develop comprehensive care-giving services, it is required to have 24-hour telephone service, hospice facilities, home care service, and communication between the referral hospitals and the primary care physicians, in particular. Such a development of services is the ultimate goal for improving care. But the immediate goal of the program is to make possible better education for the patients and their family to live with terminal cancer.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.55-70
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• 2020

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine differences in Spiritual Interests Related to Illness Tool (SpIRIT) scores and the degree of spiritual needs (SNs) between patients with terminal cancer and their primary family caregivers and to compare spiritual needs between them. Methods: The study participants were inpatients with terminal cancer and their primary family caregivers at 40 national hospice centers. The final analysis included 120 SpIRIT surveys from patients and 115 from family members, and 99 SNs questionnaires from patients and 111 from family members. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, the t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: There were no significant between-group differences in SpIRIT scores or SNs. The SpIRIT sub-dimensions that ranked high for both patients and primary family caregivers were "maintaining positive perspective", "loving others", and "finding meaning". The SNs sub-dimensions were ranked identically in both groups, in the order of "love and connection", "hope and peace", "meaning and purpose", respectively. In both groups, the recognition of the importance of spiritual matters and religion were major factors influencing SpIRIT scores and SNs. Conclusion: The SpIRIT scores and degree of SNs of patients with terminal cancer and their primary family caregivers were found to be very closely related, and the needs for coherence and meaning were greater than religious needs. When providing spiritual care for patients with terminal illness, family members should also be considered, and their prioritization of spiritual needs and the importance of spiritual matters and religion shall be taken into account.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.190-194
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• 2007

Purpose: Individual cancer patients often experience many symptoms that impair their quality of life at the end of life. Identifying symptoms at the terminal stage of cancer patients and possible imminent death prediction by using that assessment can assist physicians and patients in preparing the 'peaceful death'. This study examines symptom experience during the last 48 hours of life of terminal cancer patients, and determines whether symptom experience change with proximal to death. Methods: The medical records of 89 patients who died with terminal cancer at a hospital between July 1, 2003 and March 31, 2006 were reviewed. Symptom prevalence at the last 48 hours was analyzed along with the change of symptom experience at the admission, $48{\sim}24$ hours, and $24{\sim}0$ hours before death. Results: Median age of all patients was 62 years old (range $16{\sim}97$). During the last 48 hours, symptom prevalence was described as follows; unclear consciousness (57%), pain (30%), fever (22%), and dyspnea (19%). According to the primary site, unclear consciousness was notified the most frequent symptom, but fever was relatively high prevalence in patients of biliary origin cancer rather than other site cancer (P=0.012). As death was Impending, the prevalence of poor appetite and general weakness were decreased, while that of unclear consciousness was increased, which were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The presence of unclear consciousness could be regarded as the symptom indicator as imminent death of terminal canter patients.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.259-262
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• 2000

There are many difficulties in the management of terminal cancer pain. We often encounter difficulties when nerve blocks or epidural injection of drugs do not produce good results. Local anesthetics, opioids and adjunctives, were administered to two patients intrathecally. The results were very satisfactory. It has complications such as hypotension or infection due to intrathecal route. In the first case, the pancreatic cancer patient complicated with severe epigastic pain but unfortunately no management was effective in pain control. Intrathecal injection of bupivacaine and morphine mixture was successful even if syncope which was relieved by bed rest. In the second case, the patient complicated with lower abdominal pain due to ovarian cancer who very well controlled by epidural injection of morphine and clonidine mixture but morphine demand was greatly increased. Intrathecal injection of morphine and ketamine were tried. The patient had comportable analgesic effect. CSF leakage to subcutaneous occurred but resolved by change of the catheter position or retunnelling. There were no significant complications reported in two cases.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.33-44
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was performed to determine the effects of foot reflexology on pain and quality of sleep in patients with terminal cancer. Method: Quai-experimental research design was used. The subjects of this study were consisted of 19 for experimental group and 18 for control group. Visualue Scale(VAS) was used as the measurement tool of pain in this study, Verra & Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale(VSH) and Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) were used as the measurement tool of perceived quality of sleep. Data were analyzed using statistical methods such as frequency, percent, $x^2$-test, t-test using SPSS WIN 12.0 program. Results: The hypothesis 1 that the experimental group with reflexology has less degree of pain than the control group without reflexology was supported (t=5.41, p<.001). The hypothesis 2 that the experimental group with reflexology has higher degree of VSH Scale than the control group without reflexology was supported(t=2.37, p=.02). The hypothesis 3 that the experimental group with reflexology has the difference among the mean of sleep VAS Scale during the 12 measurement periods was not supported(F=1.63, p=.08), and no significant interactions between group and time. Conclusion: It is considered that reflexology is effective for reducing cancer pain and improving quality of sleep in patients with terminal cancer.