Association between ineffective health self-management and severe radiodermatitis: Cohort study

Purpose: To verify the association of the nursing diagnosis (ND) Ineffective Health Self-Management (IHS) (00276) with severe radiodermatitis in individuals with anal and/or rectal canal cancer. Methods: Cohort study, secondary to a clinical trial. Data were extracted from 57 participants undergoing radiotherapy (RT) for anal and/or rectal cancer so that a panel of experts could assess the presence of the defined characteristics and the ND of IHS. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was performed. Univariate analyses and bivariate analyses were applied using Fisher's exact test and chi-square test. Findings: The ND had a high prevalence. There was an association among participants with three or more defining characteristics (DC) of that diagnosis in patients experiencing severe radiodermatitis. Conclusions: An association was identified between the presence of three or more DC in the onset of severe radiodermatitis in individuals with anal and/or rectal canal cancer. Implications for nursing practice: The study contributes to incorporating the association between a human response and an adverse event in the nursing standards or guidelines related to the context of RT.