Living with relapsed myeloma: Symptoms and self-care strategies.
Orlaith Cormican, Maura Dowling
PMID 29266501WHAT IT FOUND
Relapsed myeloma patients described ongoing neuropathy, fatigue and steroid effects.
They self-managed with rest, hydration, records and complementary therapies, but some used paracetamol despite knowing it was contraindicated and deteriorated before admission.
Key findings
01Most patients experienced peripheral neuropathy, linked it to bortezomib, and said it affected sensitivity to touch and quality of life.
02All participants reported constant fatigue, and most had steroid-related symptoms such as increased appetite, insomnia, night hyperactivity and sweating.
03Some participants used paracetamol despite knowing it was contraindicated, and some deteriorated considerably before hospital admission.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Participants were self-selected, so they may have managed symptoms better than patients who did not take part. Some patients who planned to attend were too unwell on the day. The most acute symptoms may be under-represented. Carers were present and may have shaped the discussion or helped patients speak, so patient-only experiences may not be fully captured. Focus groups can make people uncomfortable discussing sensitive issues, and the study included only 24 participants from four Irish centres, so the themes may not apply elsewhere.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the self-care strategies as proven treatments. This was a qualitative focus group study of self-selected patients and carers, so it describes what they did and felt, not whether those actions improved symptoms or outcomes.