To evaluate the effect of early off-bed activity on the safety and level of comfort of patients with liver cancer during hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC).

In this prospective study, 102 patients with liver cancer who underwent HAIC in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Naval Military Medical University from December 2023 to March 2024 were enrolled. Among them, 92 patients were male and 10 female, aged from 38 to 66 years, with a median age of 55 years. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the local ethical committee approval was received. All patients were divided into the control (n=51) and study groups (n=51) based on convenient sampling method. Patients in the control group received TACE routine nursing. In the study group, the optimal evidence-based medical evidence was obtained through literature retrieval. Combined with the actual status of patients, they were advised for first off-bed activity at 12 h after HAIC. The incidence of adverse events, complications, level of comfort and degree of satisfaction were observed and compared between two groups. Fatigue and level of comfort scores were compared by t-test. The degree of satisfaction was compared by Chi-square test.

There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the study groups and the control group. In the study and control groups, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2 and 11, 14, 21, 7 and 9 patients developed pain, insomnia, low back pain, urine retention and constipation, and the differences were statistically significant (χ²=7.141, 8.541, 20.265, 4.883, 4.993; all P<0.05). The scores of fatigue and level of comfort in the study group were 54.6±2.7 and 89.1±0.7, while 78.1±3.2 and 71.5±1.2 in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (t=-9.255, 6.176; both P<0.05). The degree of satisfaction of patients in the study group was 98%(50/51), significantly higher than 78%(40/51) in the control group (χ²=9.444, P<0.05).

Off-bed activity at 12 h after HAIC exerts no effects on the safety of patients with liver cancer during HAIC. Changing bed rest duration can elevate the level of comfort, and improve the degree of satisfaction of patients.