INTERVENTIONS FOR CANCER PAIN MANAGE-MENT IN CHILDREN UNDERGOING THERAPY: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Anastasia Papamihali, Maria Moschovi, John Koutelekos, Evangelos Dousis
Saturday, October 1, 2022
Publication year:
2022
Authors:
- Papamihali Anastasia, Nurse MSc(c), School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Moschovi Maria, Associate Professor, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Koutelekos John, PhD, Assisstant Professor, Department of Nursing A',Technological Educational Institute of Athens
- Dousis Evangelos, Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, University of West Attika
Keywords index:
Pages: 389-401
Abstract:
Introduction: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children according to the American Cancer Society. Treatment may include chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation therapy, either alone or in combination. One of the most well-known effects of chemotherapy in children is pain, which has a negative effect on their physical and mental health and on the progress of the treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate the application of the interventions for the management of pain in children with cancer undergoing treatment. Methodology: This is a systematic literature review carried out by searching for articles in international bibliographic databases (Medline (via PubMed) Scopus & Cochrane Library) for the period 2003-2022. The criteria for inclusion of an article in the study were: it must be written in English, it must be completely relevant to the topic, its sample to concern children or adolescents or young adults with cancer under treatment, it must be published in a valid scientific journal, and to concern quantitative study. After a systematic and critical evaluation of the articles, 8 articles were included in the study. Results: Studies have shown that using digital pain management apps, foot massage, cognitive (educational) intervention, daily journaling, painting and talking, and reiki can improve cancer pain management to the children. Conclusions: The literature review revealed that more studies with stronger research designs are needed to investigate pain management interventions in children with cancer. Healthcare professionals can use the results of this study to design better healthcare for children with cancer.
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