ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S5877

RTT - Service evaluation, quality assurance and risk management

ESTRO 2024

You have an appointment with us to plan your radiotherapy.

I am calling with information to prepare for your appointment.

It’s important you’re well hydrated from today until the end of all your radiotherapy.

You can do this by drinking 1.5 - 2 litres of water a day.

This can be water, diluting juice or decaffeinated drinks.

Cut down on teas/coffees or switch to decaf.

On the morning of your appointments please drink water on waking.

We need your bladder to be full for each radiotherapy appointment.

At your first appointment we will give you instructions to follow and water to drink.

When you arrive a colleague will come to explain what we need you to do.

It is important your bladder is the same size each day.

As this keeps all the structures in your pelvis in the same place.

If you’re dehydrated the water we goes all around your body, rather than into your bladder.

Remind again 1.5 - 2 litres per day including weekends.

At CT planning patients were immobilised supine with knee and ankle support, instructed to empty their bladder and drink 500mls of water. Bladder scanners were used to ensure a minimum of 100mls was in the bladder prior to proceeding with the scan. First checked at 30mins, then at 45mins until the maximum time of 60mins. If less than 100mls the scan was aborted and a new appointment a few days later with hydration advice. A volume of 250mls was considered to be an optimal minimum 3 . Bladder volumes and preparation time were recorded. Welch’s T-test was used to test statistical significance using a level of p=0.05.

Results:

In total 275 patients were included. 237 (86%) patients received a hydration call with 38 (16%) not contactable. Reasons for patients not being contacted were no telephone number available (n=25), not answering call (n= 8) or RT course booked in quick succession to CT planning scan (n=5). The group included patients with anal cancer (n=53) and rectal cancer (n=222) diagnoses. There were 118 females and 157 males. The median age was 71.5 (IQR 53-73.8). Hydration calls were made on average mean 1.66 (2.2) days prior to CT calls.