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The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are a fever, coughing, and breathing problems. Unless you have severe symptoms, you can most likely treat them at home, the way you would for a cold or the flu. Most people recover from COVID-19 without the need for hospital care. Call your doctor to ask about whether you should stay home or get medical care in person. How you have treatment will depend on the type of chemotherapy you're having.
You then go to the day unit every day for treatment. You'll have a contact number to call if you need help or advice. Some hospitals and private healthcare companies have homecare chemotherapy nurses.
Chemotherapy Safety in the Home
For the over-burdened health care system, the cost savings realized are substantial. This is especially important in light of the trends toward increased survival from cancer. In the future, we may expect that even greater numbers of Americans with cancer will be receive infusion therapy at home. In 2010, a longer-term study in US cancer patients showed that home-based care led to reduced use of emergency services and decreased hospital admissions for cancer patients5. The Health Encyclopedia contains general health information.
Other people and pets could be exposed to the drug waste for a few days if they come into contact with any of your body fluids. It's important to know that not all medicines and drugs to treat cancer work the same way or have the same safety precautions. The information below describes some safety concerns of traditional or standard chemotherapy. There are also other drugs that are used to treat cancer in different ways, including targeted therapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy.
Contacting the hospital
For many people, chemo treatments and the after-effects will be difficult. While it can be really hard seeing someone you love in pain, the more you accept it, the less you will stress over something you have little to no control over. The less stressed you are, the less your stress will affect your partner. Remember, they will pick up on your emotion and energy just like you pick up on theirs. So, practice taking care of your mental and emotional health so that you can show up as the strong, supportive person you want to be.
Ask your cancer care team to teach you how to recognize the potential signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction and other problems. Make sure that you have up-to-date contact information for members of your team. Pill organizers can be useful for keeping track of vitamins and common maintenance drugs for conditions like diabetes and hypertension. But with oral chemotherapy, it’s generally best to store those drugs in their original containers, as they might start degrading if exposed to oxygen or humidity.
Chemotherapy into a vein
Doctors may recommend chemotherapy to people if there is a risk of cancer spreading or it has already started spreading. For oncologists and their staffs, home-based chemotherapy infusion affords precise monitoring of the patient via connected devices. Home nurses provide education that reinforces messages delivered in the oncologist’s office.
They might be given into a muscle or just under the skin in an arm, leg, hip, or the belly. Sometimes these are given in a treatment center or clinic. There may be special care or precautions needed when handling the drug, depending on its type. You can read more about safety precautions in Getting Intravenous or Injectable Chemotherapy.
That’s fine, but we do ask that your primary caretaker be present for the entire lesson on how to administer them. Check with your clinical team about the proper way to store your medications to prevent any problems. Keeps every drug available on hand, and it can take 5 to 7 days for the one you need to be shipped and delivered. Some drugs will also require pre-authorization from your insurance company, which can add another 2 to 3 days to the process. So, it’s important to plan ahead if you’re due for a refill soon, or if severe weather is threatening.
Call your healthcare provider’s office for instructions on how to dispose of the medication, equipment, and cleaning supplies. You should be ready to clean up medication leaks or spills while you’re getting continuous IV chemotherapy at home. Keep your chemotherapy and biotherapy medication in its original container.
You usually come back to the hospital to have the pump disconnected. Sometimes, a district nurse will do this for you at home. Your chemotherapy nurse or pharmacist will explain how to look after the pump and what to do if there is a problem. Whether you or someone you love has cancer, knowing what to expect can help you cope. Here you'll find in-depth information on specific cancer types – including risk factors, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment options.
After a few minutes, they gently insert a needle between 2 of the spinal bones, into the CSF. The doctor then injects intrathecal chemotherapy through the needle into the CSF. Sometimes a family member or friend may be taught too. Some pumps are battery-operated, so you need to be careful not to get them wet when you are washing. There are also disposable pumps that are operated by a balloon mechanism or spring control. Your nurse will check that the cannula, line or port is working properly before giving you the chemotherapy.
One study found that dexamethasone, a common steroid medication, can help people who are hospitalized with severe COVID-19 complications. But the findings are preliminary, and the researchers haven’t released the full study. We know that it is common to struggle with your mental health when you have cancer or care for someone with cancer.
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