Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science

Korean society of Biological Nursing Science (한국기초간호학회)
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The severity of clinical symptoms according to cancer diagnosis in fever patients visiting the emergency department: a retrospective analysis

응급실에 내원한 발열 환자에서 암 진단 유무에 따른 임상증상의 중증도에 대한 후향적 조사 연구

  • Eun Seam Lee (Department of Basic Nursing Science, College of Nursing, Korea University) ;
  • Purum Kang (Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Woosuk University) ;
  • You Kyoung Shin (Department of Basic Nursing Science, College of Nursing, Korea University) ;
  • Geun Hee Seol (Department of Basic Nursing Science, College of Nursing, Korea University)
  • Received : 2023.03.14
  • Accepted : 2023.05.15
  • Published : 2023.05.31
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Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the general characteristics and biomarkers of inflammation in adult patients who visited the emergency department with fever and to determine whether the severity of clinical symptoms varies according to cancer diagnosis. Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from 4,002 adult patients with fever who visited the emergency department at a tertiary hospital from January 2018 to December 2018 using medical records. Results: On average, cancer patients were older than non-cancer patients (p < .001), and differences were observed between cancer and non-cancer patients in the origin of fever and biomarkers associated with inflammation. A higher proportion of cancer patients than non-cancer patients had a Korean Triage and Acuity Scale level of 1 to 3 (p < .001), and more cancer patients than non-cancer patients met two or more criteria for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (p = .001). More life-saving interventions in the emergency department were required in cancer patients than in non-cancer patients (p < .001), and cancer patients spent more time in the emergency department than non-cancer patients (p < .001). Conclusion: This study showed that the general characteristics and biomarkers of inflammation differed among adult patients with fever depending on cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, among adult patients with fever, cancer patients had more severe clinical symptoms than non-cancer patients. The results of this study are hoped to be helpful as a basis of nursing knowledge for adult patients with fever in the emergency department and as evidence for the classification of severity in patients with fever according to cancer diagnosis.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This manuscript is a revision of ESL's master's thesis from Korea University.

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