Sociodemographic and clinical profile of people undergoing chemotherapy: support for nursing management

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The objective was to characterize the sociodemographic and clinical profile of people assisted in a chemotherapy outpatient clinic, and give evidence of the contributions that this knowledge provides to managing nursing activities. This non-experimental, descriptive, documental, quantitative study was performed at the Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, with 87 medical records, investigated between October and December of 2010. The results show that: 59.7% are female; high number of elderly people; 59.8% married; 38% with an incomplete primary education; 35.6% with breast tumors; nausea and vomiting as the major complaints; 36.9% undergoing palliative care; 94.3% using the intravenous route; 43.7% of the records without any notes regarding complications. The clinical and non-clinical information contribute for diverse managerial aspects. In the management of nursing care this information can guide in decision making and in planning nursing activities, thus contributing with comprehensive care, in agreement with the situation of each individual in a contextualized and humanized way. The complexity and scarcity of studies demand further research.

Descriptors: Neoplasms; Antineoplastic Agents; Patient Care Management; Management; Nursing.