About esophageal cancer nursing issues

How should patients with esophageal cancer be cared for? In fact, many people are not clear about this. Let us let the experts explain to you what are the care methods for esophageal cancer that we must know and what we should do in Suqian? After the operation, what kind of care should we provide to alleviate the condition of esophageal cancer?

1. Preoperative care

1. Psychological care Patients have progressive dysphagia, are becoming increasingly thin, have poor tolerance to surgery, lack confidence in treatment, and have a certain degree of fear of surgery. Therefore, we should explain, comfort and encourage the patient's psychological state, establish a fully trusted nurse-patient relationship, make the patient realize that surgery is a thorough treatment method, and make him willing to accept the surgery.

2. Enhance nutrition. Those who can still eat should be given a high-calorie, high-protein, high-vitamin liquid or semi-liquid diet. Those who cannot eat should be given intravenous water, electrolytes and calories. Patients with hypoproteinemia should be corrected by blood transfusion or plasma protein.

3. Gastrointestinal tract preparation

① Pay attention to oral hygiene; ② Place a gastric tube and duodenal drip tube before surgery; ③ Fasting before surgery. For those with food retention, flush the esophagus with isotonic saline the night before surgery, which is beneficial to reduce tissue edema and reduce the incidence of postoperative infection and anastomotic leakage; ④ For those who plan to undergo colon replacement of esophagus, they must follow the colon surgery preparation and care before surgery, see preoperative preparation for colorectal cancer. 4. Preoperative exercises teach patients deep breathing, effective coughing, expectoration, defecation in bed and other activities.

2. Postoperative Care

1. Keep the gastrointestinal decompression tube unobstructed. A small amount of blood drained out 24 to 48 hours after surgery should be considered normal. If a large amount of blood is drained, the doctor should be notified immediately. The gastrointestinal decompression tube should be retained for 3 to 5 days to reduce the tension of the anastomosis and facilitate healing. Pay attention to the accurate connection of the gastric tube, firm fixation, prevention of dislocation, and smooth drainage.

2. Closely observe the amount and nature of chest drainage. If abnormal bleeding, turbid fluid, food residues or chyle are found in the chest drainage fluid, it indicates active bleeding, esophageal anastomotic fistula or chylothorax in the chest cavity. Appropriate measures should be taken to make a clear diagnosis and treat it. If there is no abnormality, the drainage tube should be removed 1 to 3 days after surgery.

We have probably learned about the preoperative and postoperative care methods for esophageal cancer. The editor reminds everyone that the intestines will not be cured by surgery, and if the patient eats indiscriminately, esophageal cancer will still recur. Therefore, paying attention to eating is one thing that esophageal cancer patients must pay attention to. Secondly, esophageal cancer patients must maintain an optimistic attitude and avoid worsening their condition.