Abstract
Introduction: Decreased intake of food or fluid causes dehydration in hospitalized adult patients. This has led to a negative impact on patients and increased the morbidity and mortality rate at the Princess Noorah Oncology Center, where patients with advanced cancer who suffer from dehydration have been treated with parenteral fluids until the date of discharge from the hospital.
Objective: The objective of this pilot study is to assess the effectiveness and safety of hypodermoclysis (HDC) to close the gap of treatment for home-based palliative patients with cancer.
Method: During home visits, the home health care (HHC) nurse assessed these patients through history and physical examination for dehydration. Our team also incorporated the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System revised (ESAS-r) Scale in the assessment of these patients' symptoms. Informed consent has been obtained from the patient and the caregiver. The trained nurses initiated the subcutaneous infusion. The caregivers monitored it and disconnected it when completed. The study population consists of palliative patients with advanced cancer under the services of palliative care. Effectiveness and safety have been assessed using the ESAS-r scale.
Results: A total of 25 (92.6%) HDC treatments were successfully completed for nine patients (seven males and two females). One female patient had only one session because her health had deteriorated for reasons other than dehydration and was transferred to the hospital. No serious side effects were observed. One (3.6%) patient developed redness at the site of cannula insertion. The mean duration of the infusions was 8.44 hours. The median age was 70 years.
Conclusion: This study has concluded that HDC is effective, safe, and can enhance the patient’s comfort level without the need for hospitalization. The fact that HDC can be administered at home with minimum equipment and technical support makes it an ideal option in several countries with varied income settings.