Treatment of lower extremity edema by subcutaneous drainage in palliative care of advanced cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
Lower extremity edema is a problem in patients with advanced cancer, causing decreased physical function and reduced movement.


METHODS
Eight patients with advanced cancer were treated by subcutaneous needles inserted in the inner and outer sides of the ankles and attached to an enclosed drainage bag, or by creating subcutaneous tracts in both ankles.


RESULTS
All patients lost weight after 24 hours. A total of 4 patients reported enhanced mobilization and 5 patients had significant improvement of mobilization that improved their quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
Subcutaneous drainage can improve edema in the lower limbs or the lower body segment, contributing to patient comfort at his end-of-life period. A prospective study with better evaluation of patient quality of life is ongoing in our center.
Bar-Sela
Gil
G
Division of Oncology, Rambam-Health Care Campus, and Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. g_barsela@rambam.health.gov.il
Omer
Anat
A
Flechter
Ezequiel
E
Zalman
Daniela
D
D000368:Aged; D004322:Drainage / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010166:Palliative Care; D011788:Quality of Life