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Les nausées et les vomissements

Dr. Christine Maheu, RN, PhD

Dr. Christine Maheu is an Associate Professor in the Ingram School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University. Dr. Maheu is also an Affiliate Scientist at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto. At McGill University, she teaches research methods, supervises graduate students (masters, doctoral, post-doctoral), mentors practicing nurses and students in research, and conducts research in English and French. She has held research awards with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. These awards funded her research in psychosocial oncology, which focuses on developing and testing psychosocial interventions or measurements tools for various cancer populations. Additionally, in partnership with Ipsos Canada and funded by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, she is co-leading a nationwide survey of the needs of cancer patients for transition care from the end of their treatment to three years after their diagnosis. Dr. Maheu received awards for excellence in nursing research (2013, 2015, 2016) from Ovarian Cancer Canada, the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology, and the Quebec Association of Nurses in Oncology.

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Ms. Rosemary Cashman

Ms. Rosemary Cashman is a nurse practitioner at the BC Cancer Agency and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of British Columbia. Her professional experience includes the care of lymphoma, lung cancer and brain cancer patients. She co-chairs the Patient and Family Advisory Council, which guides the brain tumour care program at the BC Cancer Agency. She has authored book chapters and articles related to the care of brain tumour patients and their families. Ms. Cashman was involved in developing and implementing a rapid-access radiotherapy clinic for the palliative treatment of lung cancer and she continues to work in this clinic.

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Kyla Johnson, Occupational Therapist, Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital

Ms. Kyla Johnson, M.Sc.A., originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Kyla Johnson works as an Occupational Therapist at the Segal Cancer Center of the Jewish General Hospital. She holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from McGill University. Her goal as a rehabilitation professional in Oncology is to enable people with cancer to be able to do what they want and need to do, in all stages of their cancer experience. Kyla helps develop strategies and accommodations to facilitate a return to meaningful life roles, including work. She is specialized in cancer-related cognitive dysfunction and runs a weekly group teaching strategies to improve daily cognitive functioning. Kyla also leads a volunteer yoga class for young adults with cancer. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.

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Ms. Maureen Parkinson, Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor, M.Ed. C.C.R.C, BC Cancer

Ms. Maureen Parkinson is the province-wide vocational rehabilitation counsellor at the BC Cancer Agency. She has also been vocational rehabilitation counsellor at a public rehabilitation hospital and vocational rehabilitation consultant to insurance companies and the court system. She has instructed and facilitated Service-Canada-funded programs on job searching and career exploration. Ms. Parkinson has a Masters in Counselling Psychology, is a Canadian Certified Rehabilitation Counsellor, and completed the Certified Return to Work Coordinator Program through the National Institute for Disability Management and Research. She has developed return-to-work and job-search seminars for cancer patients and created the guidebook “Cancer and Returning to Work: A Practical Guide for Cancer Patients” as well as on-line articles about returning to work and school. She also co-authored a paper commissioned by the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology, “Cancer and Work: A Canadian Perspective”.

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Bien que les nausées et les vomissements fassent partie des effets secondaires courants de la chimiothérapie, ils peuvent aussi être causés par la radiothérapie, certains médicaments et le cancer lui-même.

Conséquences sur le travail

Les nausées peuvent provoquer une sensibilité aux odeurs de nourriture, aux parfums et aux autres odeurs fortes, susceptibles de gêner la proximité avec les collègues, et même les déplacements pour se rendre au travail. Les nausées constantes risquent de causer des carences alimentaires compromettant la santé et l’endurance. Il existe des médicaments pour prévenir ou soigner la nausée. Toutefois, certains d’entre eux ont des effets secondaires comme les maux de tête, la constipation ou la somnolence et peuvent être problématiques au travail.

Les solutions accessibles au patient

Un vaste éventail de médicaments peut contribuer à régler ce problème. Parallèlement, certaines techniques non pharmaceutiques se sont avérées efficaces, notamment :

  • L’acupuncture et l’acupression
  • Les modifications dans l’alimentation (p. ex. petits repas fréquents, aliments mélangés, thé au gingembre, etc.
  • Les distractions
  • L’imagerie guidée
  • La musicothérapie

Voici d’autres conseils pour lutter contre la nausée :
Nausea and Vomiting – BC Cancer Agency
Gérer les nausées et les vomissements (PDF) – Action Cancer Ontario

Mesures d’adaptation du lieu de travail

Il existe plusieurs moyens d’adapter un emploi en fonction des nausées et des vomissements :

La modification des tâches et des horaires de travail :

  • Travailler à domicile autant que possible.
  • Si l’uniforme est obligatoire, demander d’autres vêtements qui ne compriment pas la poitrine ou l’abdomen.

La modification du milieu de travail :

  • Déplacer le poste de travail à proximité des toilettes.
  • Demander l’accès à des toilettes privées, si possible.
  • Demander un lieu privé pour ranger une débarbouillette ou des lingettes, du rince-bouche et une brosse à dents.
  • Établir des températures agréables en installant des ventilateurs, des conditionneurs d’air portables, des humidificateurs ou des déshumidificateurs.

Le contrôle de l’information sensorielle :

  • Éloigner le poste de travail des odeurs fortes.
  • Utiliser un casque suppresseur de bruit ou des bouchons d’oreille pour atténuer les bruits pénibles.
  • Placer le poste de travail face à un mur plutôt qu’à un couloir passant pour réduire les distractions visuelles.
  • Éviter que l’éclairage proche du poste de travail soit agressif.
  • Demander l’adoption d’une politique sans parfum et sans fumée dans l’établissement.

Retour à la liste des effets secondaires courants des traitements contre le cancer