Nursing measures for advanced colorectal cancer

Once a malignant tumor disease such as colorectal cancer occurs, we need to treat it with extra care and never miss the best time for treatment. We must also do a good job of maintenance and care during the treatment process. So below, the editor will introduce to you what maintenance and care measures are there for colorectal cancer! Let’s take a look at the editor’s detailed introduction.

Colorectal cancer surgery nursing

Colorectal cancer is related to long-term high-fat, low-fiber diet, genetics, intestinal polyps, ulcerative colitis and other factors. Its common symptoms include increased frequency of bowel movements, tenesmus, and blood or mucus in the stool. As the tumor grows, the stool becomes thin and flat, defecation becomes difficult, and even obstruction symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloating may occur. Radical resection is the main treatment.

Preoperative care

1. Diet

It is advisable to eat a high-protein, high-calorie, high-vitamin, easily digestible, nutritious, low-residue diet to increase the body's resistance; avoid spicy and hard foods to reduce irritation to the intestines.

2. Inspection

In addition to rectal digital examination and proctoscopy, patients also need to undergo functional examinations of their heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and other organs.

3. Bowel preparation

It can reduce or avoid intraoperative contamination and postoperative infection, and increase the success rate of surgery.

(1) Dietary control: give enough liquid food 2 days before surgery, 45 meals/day, about 300-500 ml, such as porridge, steamed eggs, vegetable soup, lotus root powder, etc., to reduce feces and clean the intestines. Patients with obstruction should fast.

(2) Antibiotics: Take metronidazole, gentamicin, etc. orally three days before surgery, three times a day, after meals. Their function is to inhibit intestinal bacteria and prevent postoperative infection. Since the intestines have difficulty absorbing vitamin K when using antibacterial agents, vitamin K should be taken orally at the same time.

(3) Use of laxatives: If there is no obstruction, laxatives such as castor oil should be taken orally the night before surgery.

(4) Mechanical preparation: Clean the enema at 8:00 pm and 6:00 am before the operation until there is no fecal residue. During the enema, the patient lies on the left side. If there is abdominal distension or urgency during the process, ask the patient to take a deep breath. It is not advisable to defecate immediately after the enema, and keep it for 10-15 minutes. During the enema, if severe abdominal pain, pale face, cold sweat, etc. occur, report to the nurse in time, stop the operation immediately and deal with it.

(5) Gastrointestinal decompression: insert a gastric tube for gastrointestinal decompression on the morning of the operation.

4. Urinary tract preparation

A balloon catheter is placed on the morning of the operation to prevent accidental injury to the ureter or bladder during the operation; at the same time, it can prevent urinary retention caused by retroverted bladder after rectal cancer surgery or reflex inhibition caused by pelvic nerve stimulation due to anesthesia or surgery, which can lead to dysuria. It is usually removed 7 days after the operation.

5. Vaginal douching

To reduce or avoid intraoperative contamination and postoperative infection, female patients should perform vaginal washing the night before and the morning of surgery.

This is all we have to say about the maintenance and care measures for colorectal cancer. When we encounter a terrible disease like colorectal cancer, we need to pay special attention to active and correct treatment and care. I hope that every colorectal cancer patient can receive correct treatment and get rid of the disease as soon as possible to avoid too much harm.