Common methods of caring for pancreatic cancer patients

Pancreatic cancer develops rapidly and once discovered, it is usually in the late stage. Therefore, care for pancreatic cancer patients is extremely important. We should work together in three aspects: psychological care, dietary care, and postoperative care to improve the patient's quality of life.

1. Psychological care: patients should be helped to eliminate anxiety and fear, encouraged to express their uneasy thoughts and feelings, and promptly given examples of cases of recovery after surgery to give them confidence in curing the disease. Surgical patients should be encouraged to visit each other, and communication and contact with family members and their social support systems should be strengthened to resolve their worries and teach them how to reduce anxiety.

2. Dietary care: The patient's dietary preferences should be fully understood, and the dietitian should be cooperated with to develop a menu for the patient, record the amount of food eaten, and observe the digestion after eating. Digestive aids should be given according to the doctor's orders. For patients with intake disorders, rehydration and nutrient supplementation should be arranged reasonably according to the doctor's orders, and water, electrolyte, and acid-base imbalances should be corrected. Albumin, amino acids, fresh blood, platelets, etc. should be transfused according to the doctor's orders to correct hypoproteinemia, anemia, and coagulation mechanism disorders.

3. Postoperative care of pancreatic cancer patients: Patients undergoing pancreatic and duodenectomy should closely observe the amount and properties of exudates in the abdominal drainage tube and cigarette drainage strip, and be alert to complications such as postoperative bile leakage, pancreatic fistula, and intra-abdominal hemorrhage. Patients undergoing pancreatic body and tail resection should pay attention to whether there is clear, colorless watery pancreatic fluid exudation in the drainage tube placed at the pancreatic section. If pancreatic fistula is suspected, the drainage tube should be immediately suctioned with continuous negative pressure, and zinc oxide ointment should be applied to protect the skin around the drainage tube opening.