The Survey Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation on Nausea, Vomiting and Anxiety induced by Chemotherapy to Hospitalized Patients in Shahid Gazi Tabatabaei Hospital, Tabriz, 1999-2000

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Chemotherapy has been recognized as an essential means of treating cancer either by curing or providing palliation. While chemotherapy is an important treatment modality, it may cause serious side effects. The most distressing side effects of chemotherapy are nausea and vomiting. Currently, the mainstay of appropriate management is the use of antiemetic’s are not effective for all chemotherapy patients. In addition, antiemetic’s often produce undesirable side effects and increases patient hospitalization cost. Limitations of the pharmacologic approaches have prompted researcher to investigate the efficacy of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on nausea, vomiting and anxiety induced by chemotherapy. Method & Materials: This survey is one semi- experimental study. Data collection instruments were nausea and vomiting self- report questionnaire and spiel Berger state- trait anxiety inventory. In this survey 20 case of cancerous patients in first course of chemotherapy participated. These subjects non-randomly were assigned to either the experimental (10 subjects) or control (10subjects) group. In addition to routine nursing care, Subjects in the experimental group received progressive muscle relaxation training. Results: Results from this survey verified the effectiveness of PMR in state anxiety condition. But the effectiveness of PMR in nausea, vomiting, retching and trait anxiety condition was not verified. Discussion: While in this survey may be to small sample size the effectiveness of PMR in nausea, vomiting and retching condition was not verified, but positive effects of PMR must not be overlooked, clinically. In this survey the effectiveness of PMR in trait anxiety was not verified. May be for this reason that the trait anxiety has further corresponding to personality characteristic and least to cancerous condition and chemotherapy.