Improvement of Meals for Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy
10.2185/jjrm.62.106
- VernacularTitle:化学療法食の改善の取り組み
- Author:
Chinatsu YAMADA
;
Tetsuaki SHUMIYA
;
Tsuyosi YAMAGUCHI
;
Shingo YAMADA
;
Mayumi SHIRAISHI
;
Katsuyasu YANAGIDA
;
Takahito NAKAMURA
;
Takumi UMEDA
;
Mikari ITO
;
Takao OZAKI
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine
2013;62(2):106-111
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
-
Abstract:
In 2010, we at Konan Kosei Hospital introduced a menu with 8 days set as a cycle for inpatients undergoing chemotherapy. We have thus far used it for 258 patients. Over the 6-month period extending from October 2011 and March 2012, we performed a questionnaire survey on 23 patients (8 with lung cancer, 5 with acute myeloid leukemia and 3 with lymphoma) about their meals. On the basis of the findings, we have made a number of improvements in the menu. To the question of ease with which to eat, 96% of patients responded the meals were “easy to eat.” When it came to the volume of meals, 29% replied that breakfast was “small,” whereas 83% said lunch and dinner were “just right.” Cold chawan-mushi (custard-like egg and vegetable dish steamed in a cup) was difficult to eat for 7 patients, whereas there were indications that fish meals were also hard to eat. Based on this survey, we have increased the volume of breakfast, and replaced cold chawan- mushi with hot chawan-mushi. Furthermore, in order to reduce the smell peculiar to fish, we substituted kaba-yaki (spitchcocks) and ankake (food dressed with a thick, starchy sauce) fish- cooking styles for nitsuke (fish boiled and seasoned with sugar and soy sauce) and mushizakana (steamed fish) styles. Further surveys are necessary to produce a menu suitable for as many patients undergoing chemotherapy as possible.