Study of predictive nursing intervention based on causal analysis in patients with radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of causality analysis-based predictive nursing interventions in reducing complications and improving outcomes among nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients undergoing radiotherapy. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 96 NPC patients admitted between November 2021 and November 2023. Participants were divided into Group A (routine care, n = 48) and Group B (predictive nursing intervention, n = 48). Group B received causality analysis-guided interventions targeting oral mucositis, psychological support, and early rehabilitation. Outcomes included oral mucosa grading (WHO criteria), cancer fatigue (Piper Fatigue Scale), psychological state (HAD scale), sleep quality (AIS), mouth-opening difficulty incidence, oral pain (NRS), and nursing satisfaction. Post-intervention, Group B showed significantly lower proportions of severe oral mucosa grades (Grade III/IV: 6.25% vs. 58.34% in Group A, P < 0.001), reduced cancer fatigue scores (Group B: 1.40–2.57 vs. Group A: 2.84–3.87, P < 0.05), and improved psychological state (anxiety: 6.18 vs. 10.32; depression: 5.89 vs. 8.54, P < 0.001). Group B also had lower mouth-opening difficulty incidence (35.42% vs. 56.25%, P = 0.041), reduced oral pain scores at weeks 3–9 (2.10–5.01 vs. 2.54–6.86, P < 0.05), and higher nursing satisfaction (95.83% vs. 77.08%, P = 0.007). These findings suggest that predictive nursing interventions based on causality analysis effectively mitigate radiotherapy-related complications, enhance psychological well-being, reduce oral pain, and improve patient satisfaction in NPC patients. Larger multicenter studies with extended follow-up are needed to validate these findings.