Objective To explore the incidence and severity of diverse clinical symptoms in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), construct a symptom correlation network model, accurately identify core symptoms within the network, and classify symptom clusters. MethodsA convenience sampling method was adopted. A total of 211 patients with SAP admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Provincial People’s Hospital) from January 2024 to December 2025 were enrolled. The memorial symptom assessment scale was used for evaluation to investigate the composition of clinical symptoms in SAP patients. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to extract symptom clusters. R 4.4.2 software was applied to construct symptom clusters network. Centrality indicators including strength, betweenness and closeness were analyzed to identify core symptoms and core symptom clusters. ResultsA total of three symptom clusters were extracted in this study, including the gastrointestinal symptom cluster (abdominal pain, abdominal distension, dyspnea, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, dizziness), the fatigue symptom cluster (lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, drowsiness), and the psychological symptom cluster (anxiety, sleep disturbance, irritability, sadness, distress). Among them, anxiety [95.7% (202/211)], difficulty concentrating [94.8% (200/211)], lack of energy [92.4% (195/211)], and abdominal pain [90.0% (190/211)] were identified as core symptoms. Symptoms with high strength values included anxiety (rs=2.2), difficulty concentrating (rs=1.2), and dyspnea (rs=1.0); symptoms with high closeness centrality values included drowsiness (rc=1.8), difficulty concentrating (rc=1.7), and anxiety (rc=1.1); symptoms with high betweenness centrality values included difficulty concentrating (rb=2.3), anxiety (rb=2.0), and drowsiness (rb=1.5). ConclusionsAnxiety, difficulty concentrating, lack of energy, and abdominal pain were identified as the core symptoms within the symptom clusters of SAP patients, with the fatigue symptom cluster being the core symptom cluster. It is recommended that medical staff pay close attention to the manifestations of core symptoms in SAP patients during treatment and formulate targeted symptom management plans.
ObjectivePatients with lung cancer often experience interrelated symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbances during chemotherapy, forming a core symptom cluster that significantly impacts daily functioning, treatment experience, and quality of life. Currently, evidence on non-pharmacological management of this core symptom cluster is scattered, and there is a lack of standardized, patient- and caregiver-friendly guidance tools that are easy to understand and implement. This patient guideline aims to provide decision support for self-management of the core symptom cluster in patients undergoing chemotherapy for lung cancer. MethodsGuided by evidence-based methodology, qualitative interviews and on-site questionnaire surveys were conducted to identify the health-related needs of stakeholders. Domestic and international guideline websites, relevant professional association websites, and comprehensive databases were systematically searched according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The included literature was evaluated for quality, and recommendations were extracted, integrated, and graded to form a summary of the best evidence. Based on the identified health issues and evidence summary, preliminary recommendations for the patient guideline were developed. The recommendations were then revised through two rounds of Delphi expert consultation, and consensus was reached on the strength of recommendations, forming the final version of the patient guideline. ResultsThe patient guideline covered four major sections: screening and assessment of core symptom clusters, daily management, intervention measures, and timing of referral. The core content included nine aspects: screening of core symptom clusters, assessment, lifestyle habits, dietary interventions, sleep environment, exercise interventions, psychological interventions, Traditional Chinese Medicine interventions, and referral indications. In total, the guidelines addressed 16 health issues and provided 25 recommendations. ConclusionThe development process of this patient guideline is rigorous and fully considered the needs of patients. Expert review concludes that the recommendations are highly feasible and appropriate.