Effect of educational nursing instructions on outcomes of patients receiving percutaneous alcohol ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment

Background: Percutaneous alcohol ablation has emerged as a safe and predictable technology for treating certain patients with cancer who otherwise have few treatment options. Patients need to be familiar with all phases of the RFA procedure to decrease post ablation syndrome.

Aim: Evaluate the effect of educational nursing instructions on outcomes (knowledge and post ablation syndrome) of patients receiving percutaneous alcohol ablation therapy for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Design: Pretest and Posttest research design was used to test the study hypothesis and fulfill the aim of the study.

Methods: This study was conducted at Al-Rajhy Intervention Ultrasound unit at Assuit University. A purposeful sixty patients admitted to receive percutaneous alcohol ablation therapy where the first thirty admitted patients considered as a control group and received the routine hospital care while the second followed thirty admitted patients received the educational nursing instructions (study group).

Tools: (i) Percutaneous alcohol ablation patient interview questionnaire sheet and (ii) Post ablation syndrome questionnaire sheet both tools used pre and post application of educational nursing instructions

Results: A statistically significant differences between the study and control groups in knowledge about percutaneous alcohol ablation therapy (p>0.05). A significant increase in study group patient’s knowledge and decrease in post ablation syndrome after educational nursing instructions application.

Conclusion: Implementation of educational nursing instructions was very useful in improving patients’ knowledge about percutaneous alcohol ablation therapy which leads to minimize post ablation syndrome.

Recommendations: There is a need for educating hepatocellular carcinoma patients who receive percutaneous alcohol ablation about this procedure precaution. This instruction should be available for all patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma.