Adverse events resulting from the use of hypodermoclysis in oncology patients receiving palliative care

Aim: To estimate the incidence of adverse events resulting from the use of hypodermoclysis and analyse the risk factors for adverse events resulting from hypodermoclysis in oncology patients receiving palliative care. Methods: A concurrent cohort study was conducted with 30 patients hospitalised in palliative care between November 2020 and January 2022. Patients were counted only once for descriptive analyses ( n =30). Each puncture was analysed independently, meaning that a single patient could generate data for more than one puncture ( n =43). Absolute and relative distributions were calculated as qualitative variables, with the mean and standard deviation used for quantitative variables. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were applied to verify the association between sociodemographic and clinical variables and the occurrence of complications. A significance level of 5% was chosen. Results: The incidence of adverse events was 41%, with oedema being the most frequent. Average time between the first day of puncture and the adverse event was 4.4 days. The subclavicular region (44%) was the most frequent puncture site, with a non-needle catheter (91%) used in most cases. Transparent film was the method most used for catheter fixation, and the main reason for catheter removal was the death of the patient. Most commonly used medications were haloperidol (20.9%) and morphine (15.9%). Association analyses identified the puncture site as a statistically significant factor for the occurrence of adverse events. Conclusion: The incidence of adverse events was higher than in other studies in the literature, and the puncture site was associated with adverse events. This highlights the importance of understanding the factors related to these events and how to prevent them.