Clinical Nursing Paths Benefit Patient Outcomes Undergoing Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization for...

The purpose of the study is to investigate patient outcomes of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) under clinical nursing paths (CNP) and whether the application of CNP can be a protective factor against the recurrence of HCC.

The study comprised of 48 patients who received TACE for HCC under the CNP (assigned into the CNP group) and 41 who received TACE for HCC under the routine care (assigned into the control group). Their treatment safety, pain, and psychology were compared. The nursing satisfaction and quality of life were investigated when patients were discharged from the hospital. A 6-month follow-up was performed to analyze the related factors affecting disease recurrence.

In the CNP group, the incidence rate of total adverse reactions, VAS scores, SAS and SDA scores were lower, but conversely, the satisfaction and SF-36 scores were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that advanced TNM stage, larger tumor diameter, greater Child-Pugh classification, and the presence of peripheral blood vessel invasion were independent risk factors of HCC recurrence (P < 0.05).

The study demonstrated that CNP intervention can improve the safety and quality of life of patients undergoing TACE for HCC and reduce their negative emotions and pain feelings, which is worthy of clinical application.