Specifical nutritional requirements of oncological patients

Nourishment in oncological patients is a very complicated problem. Up to half of the patients experience a lack of appetite that borders to food aversion which is often followed by an almost immediate sense of fullness after first few bites. Furthermore, some of the treatments themselves may lead to nausea, diarrhea and problems with swallowing. Malnutrition, consequently, will often worsen the prognosis for patient with a malignant tumor; lower his susceptibility to oncological treatment and increase the probability of further complications. A complete clinical picture of malnutrition, called cachexia, is characterized by noticeable gauntness, loss of both musculature and subcutaneous fat. Studies show that 30% to 90% of oncological patients suffer from malnutrition. Also, a continuous weight loss considerably lowers the quality of life, and this must not be overlooked for nutrition should not only lead to a prolonged survival, but also to an appropriate life-quality. The aim of this study was to find out how nutritive registry is kept at oncological wards in selected hospitals in the Czech Republic. Further, to find out if nurses are familiar with the causes of malnutrition in oncology patients and have sufficient knowledge of the specific nutritional principals. The hypotheses set were {--} 1) at the selected oncological wards nutritive registry is used, 2) the nurses there do know about causes of malnutrition while 3) nurses in other wards do not have this knowledge. 4) Nurses know about the necessary nutritional principals in oncology patients. Quantitative approach was used for this research. The questioning method was to collect data by distributing questionnaires. The results show that at oncology wards but at other, non-oncological wards as well, nutritive registry is used, and furthermore, a position of nutritional therapist has been appointed and nutritional staff established. The first hypothesis has been proven to be correct. The second and fourth hypotheses are correct as nurses do know the causes of malnutrition in oncology patients and have the knowledge of the necessary nutritional principals. The third hypothesis presumed that nurses from non-oncological wards lack this knowledge and has consequently been proven wrong. These nurses are indeed knowledgeable of the nutritional problems. In practice, a stressed necessity of nurses{\crq} efficient knowledge of the nutritional problem for patients with malnutrition and cachexia at both oncological and non-oncological wards is recommended, together with the introduction and observance of nursing standards concerning the nutritional problems of oncology patients, proper information given to the patients relating their special diet as a consequence of the illness and its subsequent treatment, and finally, a multidisciplinary approach and collaboration (nutritional staff)