Essentials for the family ‘ s dietary care of patients following the treatment of terminal lung cancer
Following the treatment of terminal lung cancer, the main points of family care for the patient ‘ s diet are as follows:
1. Ensuring nutritional adequacy and balance:
– Protein intake: Protein is a key nutrient for the body to repair the damaged tissue. Post-operative patients need a large amount of protein to facilitate surgical healing and physical recovery. Families may prepare foods of high quality protein, such as chicken, fish, shrimp, eggs, milk, beans and their products. Chicken can be cooked in a way that allows for evaporation, which preserves nutrition and is easily digestive.
– Supply of carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are a major source of body energy. The patient may be given a proper amount of staple food, such as rice, noodles, buns, etc. However, care must be taken to adjust the amount to the abdominal and digestive state of the patient, so as to avoid abdominal disorders such as overingestion.
– Vitamins and mineral supplementation: fresh vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals, helping to increase the immune capacity of patients. Vitamin C, Vitamin E etc. are resistant to oxidation and can help reduce inflammation response. Families can prepare different types of vegetables for their patients every day, such as broccoli, carrots, spinach, celery, and fruits with vitamin C, such as oranges, strawberries, monkeys, etc. Vegetables may be made of light soup or smelts, which can be easily eaten by patients.
2. Adapting diet:
– Eat less: After the operation, the appetite of the patient may be affected and over-eating may cause discomfort and vomiting. Families may divide the three meals per day into five or six meals, using a diet of less. For example, in addition to normal early, medium and dinners, small snacks, such as fruit paste, yogurt, cupcakes, etc., can be added once in the morning and once in the afternoon to ensure nutritional ingestion without placing a tumour in the stomach.
– Food-based adaptation: food-based adaptation to the patient ‘ s ability to chew and swallow. If the patient has difficulty chewing and swallowing after the surgery, the food may be made of paste or mud, such as boiling meat and vegetables into mud with a mixer and feeding with a spoon. The transition to soft food and normal diet can be achieved as patients recover.
3. Attention to dietary taboos:
– Avoiding greasy and spicy foods: greasy foods, such as fried food, fat, etc., are not easily digestive and can increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to indigestion and diarrhoea. Spicy foods, such as peppers, peppers, mustards, can stimulate gastrointestinal mucous membranes and respiratory tracts, can cause symptoms such as cough and abdominal pain, and can be detrimental to the patient ‘ s post-operative recovery.
– Control of salt and sugar intake: excessive salt intake may lead to oedema and hypertension, increasing the burden on the heart and kidneys. High sugar foods, such as candy, sweet drinks and so on, in addition to causing blood sugar fluctuations, also breed oral bacteria and increase the risk of infection. Families should prepare their food with less salt and sugar and keep the original taste of the food as far as possible.
4. Focus on dietary hygiene:
– Fresh and clean food: select fresh food to ensure that its sources are safe and reliable. Before cooking, the food must be thoroughly cleaned to avoid pesticide residues and bacterial contamination. For foods such as meat, fish, etc., it is necessary to ensure that they are cooked in order to prevent damage to the patient ‘ s body from bacteria, parasites, etc. in food.
– Physicosanitary: maintenance of the utensils and regular disinfection of the utensils. Sterilisation can be performed using boiled water or disinfectant cabinets to prevent cross-infection. When the patient is fed, the utensils are cleaned and dryed.
5. Water intake management:
– Adequate drinking water: ensuring adequate water intake for the patient helps to dilute the sapling, promotes the discharge of siplets and facilitates the release of body metabolic waste. The patient is generally advised to drink 1,500 – 2000 ml per day. If the patient does not like to drink white water, he or she can drink some light tea or fresh juice, but be careful not to drink a drink with caffeine or a large amount of additives.
– The temperature of drinking water is appropriate: it avoids the use of cold or overheated water, which can stimulate convulsions in the gastrointestinal tract, and overheated water may damage oral and edible mucous membranes. The water temperature is close to the body temperature, around 37°C.
Lung cancer
