Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the usefulness of hot compresses applied to the backs of patients receiving outpatient cancer chemotherapy and suffering from fatigue. The patients were divided into two groups : one that was prescribed 15 minutes of bed rest (control group, n = 6) and the other in which hot compresses (approximately 50 ℃) were applied to the backs of patients for 15 minutes (hot compress group, n = 12).These groups were compared in terms of blood pressure, pulse rate, body temperature, and Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS) score. CFS score pre-and post-treatment and CFS score on the day following treatment were obtained by a questionnaire survey and a mail survey, respectively. Significant differences in body temperature were found pre-and post-treatment in the hot compress group (p = 0.02). The pre-treatment average overall fatigue score was 23.00 (SD 3.58) in the control group and 25.08 (SD 7.31) in the hotcompress group. Significant differences were found in CFS overall fatigue scores, physical fatigue scores, and cognitive fatigue scores between pre-and post-treatment in both the groups. Significant differences were found in overall fatigue scores for the hot compress group between pre-treatment and after 15 minutes of treatment, and weren't found between after 15 minutes of treatment and the day following treatment. Twelve categories were extracted in a content analysis of interviews conducted after hot compress treatment, including “feeling good", “feeling calm and at ease", “feeling of relaxation", and “feeling of exhilaration." The results of this study suggest that hot compresses applied to the backs provide comfort to patients receiving outpatient cancer chemotherapy and suffering from fatigue.
