Effectiveness of Palm Fisting Exercise on Occurrence of Thrombophlebitis among the IV Cannulated Patients Receiving Chemotherapy – A Selected Hospital of Delhi

Abstract

Thrombophlebitis is a common complication among IV cannulated patients receiving chemotherapy. The main objectives of the present study were to compare the effect of palm fisting exercise on the occurrence of thrombophlebitis among the IV cannulated patients receiving chemotherapy in experimental and control groups and to find an association between the occurrences of thrombophlebitis with selected demographic variables in the experimental group. The quantitative research approach was used. The research design was post-test-only control design. Sample comprised of 60 patients who were newly cannulated in the arm and were receiving chemotherapy for at least two days from the medical oncology ward of Delhi State Cancer Institute, New Delhi, selected by the lottery method and assigned in to experimental and control groups. There was a significant difference of palm fisting exercise on the occurrence of thrombophlebitis among the IV cannulated patients receiving chemotherapy between the experimental and control groups. There was a significant difference of palm fisting exercise on the occurrence of thrombophlebitis among the IV cannulated patients receiving chemotherapy between the experimental and control group at 0.05 level of significance. In experimental group, there was a significant association between the occurrences of thrombophlebitis among the IV cannulated patients receiving chemotherapy with selected variables, viz., age, stages of cancer, duration of illness, concurrent illness, body mass index, size of the cannula, site of the cannula, duration of chemotherapy administration, number of present cycles of chemotherapy and other treatment modalities at 0.05 level of significance. So, palm fisting exercise with soft ball was effective in reducing the occurrence of thrombophlebitis among the IV cannulated patients receiving chemotherapy.