Leukemia is a malignant tumor of the hematologic system, and the initial treatment all requires combination chemotherapy. Many patients have fear of the disease, depression, and the side effects of chemotherapy drugs at the initial visit and are emotionally unwell, so psychological counseling at the initial visit or when the disease changes is very important.
Before chemotherapy, you can consult with your physician about the approximate duration of treatment and common side effects to prepare yourself psychologically so that you don’t get anxious or panic when you encounter problems.
Another thing to keep in mind during chemotherapy is the prevention of common complications, mainly infection and bleeding.
- Infections are mainly in the respiratory and digestive tracts, which are connected to the outside world, and require attention to dietary hygiene, better oral hygiene and sitz baths after stooling;
- Take care to keep the bowels open and avoid dry stools and constipation caused by prolonged bed rest and application of antiemetic medications;
- Oral quinolones were previously used to prevent intestinal infections, but are now used sparingly. For patients with initial induction chemotherapy or relapse followed by induction chemotherapy, antifungal drugs can be given orally to prevent fungal infections, and patients with conditions can be admitted to a laminar flow ward;
- Family members and health care workers should also pay attention to hand hygiene and use antiseptic gel to wipe their hands before and after touching the patient’s belongings to avoid contact with infectious pathogens, and reduce family visits during the post-chemotherapy granulocyte deficiency period;
- Green plants should be avoided in the ward and flower baskets should be avoided during visits to reduce the occurrence of fungal infections.
In addition, during chemotherapy, we need to closely monitor changes in blood count and coagulation indexes, and promptly transfuse platelets, plasma, and other blood products, usually platelets when platelets are below 20×10/L, and red blood cells depending on the patient’s symptoms.
Other things to keep in mind during chemotherapy include drinking the right amount of water during chemotherapy, diuresis to eliminate metabolic waste such as uric acid, and baking soda to alkalize the urine.