Indwelling experience and coping strategies of upper arm infusion ports in patients with cancer: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES: The upper arm infusion ports have been proven to be advanced and safe, but the experience from the perspective of patients is lacking. This study explored the indwelling experience and coping strategies of upper arm infusion ports in patients with cancer. DESIGN: Qualitative exploratory study. SETTING: This study was conducted between May 2021 and August 2021 at a level III-A general hospital in Shanghai, China. PARTICIPANTS: The participants, who are patients with cancer implanted with the upper arm infusion ports, included 10 women and 6 men, and the average age was 54.4±8.3 years old. METHODS: Data were selected from semistructured in-depth interviews and analysed by thematic analysis. RESULTS: There were 10 descriptive topics and 4 analytical topics in 2 parts. The indwelling experience includes positive experience (treatment benefit, life convenience) and negative experience (physical discomfort, social anxiety, psychological distress). Coping strategies include emotional-focused strategies (self-acceptance, avoidance and self-protection) and problem-focused strategies (information seeking, functional exercise and remove as soon as possible). CONCLUSION: The infusion port in the upper arm is beneficial to the safety and quality of life of patients with cancer. At the same time, there are challenges in physical, psychological and social adaptation. Patients respond with some measures, but obstacles may arise during implementation.