A study to assess the effectiveness of cryotherapy on pain after the intravenous administration of chemotherapeutic agents among patients with cancer in selected hospital, Cherthala, Alappuzha

A quasi experimental study to assess the effectiveness of cryotherapy on pain before and after the intravenous administration of chemotherapeutic agents among patients with cancer in selected hospital, Alappuza district ,Kerala.It was conducted as a partiall fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Master of science in nursing by 30093601 from Annai JKK Sampoorani Ammal college of Nursing, under The Tamilnadu Dr.MGR Medical University,Chennai, 2010 – 2011. The objectives of the study were (1) To assess the effectiveness of cryotherapy on pain before and after the intravenous administration of chemotherapeutic agents among the cancer patients in experimental group. (2) To compare the mean difference on pain among the cancer patients between the experimental and control group. (3) To test the association between the mean difference on pain and selected factors among the cancer patients in experimental group. The hypothesis formulated were (H1) There will be a significant difference in pain before and after cryotherapy among patients with cancer in experimental group. (H2) There will be a significant difference in the mean difference of pain among cancer patients between the experimental and control group. (H3) There will be a significant association between mean difference in pain and selected factors among patients with cancer in experimental group. Literature review was done and organized under following headings; (1) Studies related to pain after the intravenous administration of chemotherapeutic agent. (2) Studies related to pain assessment. (3) Studies related to cryotherapy in general 95 The conceptual framework adopted for the present study was based on the gate control theory proposed in 1965 by Melack and Wall. The research design used was quasi experimental, repeated measure time series with control group design. The tool developed and used for data was interview schedule.Numerical rating scale was used to assess the pain. The content validity of the tool was established by inter rater reliability, computed reliability coefficient r=0.86 was high. The pilot study was conducted The main study was conducted in the Prethyasa cancer institute and research centre at Green gardens hospital, Cherthala. The information regarding background factors and disease related factors were collected from 46 samples by interviewing them and observing health records. Pain was measured using numerical rating scale from both the experimental and control group. with an interval of 10 minutes. The intervention cryotherapy was for experimental group. The evidence of intervention and pain were marked in a grid. Intervention was done at the bedside. The experiment was repeated twice during two consecutive doses. The findings of the study were; There was a significant difference in pain after cryotherapy in 1st and 2nd doses. The mean difference on pain during 1st and 2nd intervention among cancer patients in experimental and control group was significant Crotherapy was an effective intervention in reducing pain after the intravenous administration of chemotherapeutic agents among cancer patients. The implication limitation and recommendation were adequately spelt