Hyponatraemia Assignment | Online Assignment

Referencing using Vancouver please

1. Introduction to homeostasis and fluid electrolyte balance in vivo
   • Complex environment
   • Fluid and electrolyte control
2. Hyponatraemia
   • Diagnosis/Classification
   • Treatment
   • Management
   • Guidelines available (European focus)
3. Hyponatraemia in cancer patients
   • Prevalence & incidence
   • Aetiology
   • Association with patient survival
   • Guidelines for cancer patients with hyponatraemia
4. Effects on hyponatraemia on cancer cells
   • Tumour macroenvironment
5. Lung cancer
   • Classification – NSCL/SCLC
   • Association/incidence with hyponatraemia
   • Vasopressin secreting tumours – incidence across tumours ideally NSCLC/SCLC, head and neck etc
6. Vasopressin
   • Biology and homeostasis
   • Role in hyponatraemia and SIADH
   • Vasopressin pathways and cell growth
     • Vasopressin subtypes
     • V1a receptors and pathway
     • V2 receptors and pathway
     • Vasopressin and cancer cells
   • Data on vasopressin receptor antagonist mechanism of action in ADPKD
     • Effects of vasopressin receptor antagonists on aquaresis
     • Effects of vasopressin receptor antagonists in ADPKD cystogenesis
   • Summary of chapter

7. Literature Review
   • Development and acquisition of knowledge, attitude and practices by healthcare specialists (physicians, nurses, pharmacists)
   • Medical decision making
   • Decision making in oncology
   • Behavioural aspects of decision making in oncology
   • Summary of chapter

8. Research proposal – plan is to use KAP (Knowledge, Attitude, Practice) Gap analysis questionnaire as a technique but will require proposal for the rationale/research around chosen method/limitations etc

Hypothesis is as follows;

• Cancer cell replication, loss of cell:cell contact inhibition and motility is stimulated in hypotonic environments
• Lung cancers have a high incidence of hyponatraemia and vasopressin secreting tumours
• Diagnosis and treatment of hyponatraemia as an upstream effect may improve patient important outcomes for both quality and/or quantity of life in cancer patients
• There is a KAP gap amongst physicians treating lung cancer patients

Methodology

• Create KAP gap tool (questionnaire) to research knowledge, attitude and practice where knowledge can be assessed versus guidelines, diagnosis and data on survival for hyponatraemia in cancer patients, attitude to diagnosis/treatment/management and practice using clinical vignettes (?)

• Section 1 – Demographic data
• Section 2 – Knowledge of hyponatraemia
• Section 3 – Attitude towards hyponatraemia
• Section 4 – Practice regarding hyponatraemia

Target Group

• Approximately 100 healthcare practitioners involved in diagnosis, treatment, management of patients with lung cancer (nurses, pharmacists and physicians)

Rationale for research

• The purpose of this research is to analyse the diagnosis, treatment and management of hyponatraemia by decision making healthcare practitioners involved in treating patients with lung cancer.

Research Objectives

• To identify any knowledge gaps related to the diagnosis, treatment and management of hyponatraemia in decision making healthcare practitioners involved in treating patients with lung cancer.
• To describe the attitude of decision-making healthcare practitioners involved in treating patients with lung cancer towards the diagnosis, treatment and management of hyponatraemia.
• To describe the practices related to the diagnosis, treatment and management of hyponatraemia by decision making healthcare practitioners involved in treating patients with lung cancer.
• To explore any relationships between knowledge: attitude: practice related to the diagnosis, treatment and management of hyponatraemia in decision making healthcare practitioners involved in treating patients with lung cancer.

Quantitative Analysis

• Existence of relationships
• Identification of gaps
• Stratification across groups/experience/level of education/age etc etc