title: Sensory perceptions of patients with cancer undergoing surgical insertion of a totally implantable venous access device: a qualitative, exploratory study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to investigate sensory perceptions of patients who underwent insertion of a totally implantable venous access device (TIVAD) under local anesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  qualitative, exploratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  tertiary care center in Belgium.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 adult patients with cancer or hematologic disease undergoing a first-time TIVAD insertion.
  
  
  METHODS
  immediately after insertion, patients were asked to describe their sensory perceptions during each of four phases. Descriptions were documented in a sensory information grid (SIG) that was composed of a row and column matrix of entries for the four phases of the procedure and the five sensory modalities. Verbatim descriptions of patients were assigned labels using a descriptive coding process.
  
  
  METHODS
  sensory perceptions in the modalities of hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste.
  
  
  RESULTS
  patients experienced many sensory perceptions that mainly occurred during preparation of the patients and surgical equipment (phase 2) and during the actual TIVAD insertion (phase 3). Patients perceived fewer olfactory sensations. No taste perceptions were mentioned.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  patients reported numerous sensory perceptions during TIVAD insertion. The SIG method proved suitable for assessing and documenting patients' sensory perceptions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the reported descriptions can be used (a) to develop a structured questionnaire to quantitatively assess sensory perceptions and (b) to prepare patients for what to expect with regard to sensory information experienced before, during, and after TIVAD insertion. This method for exploring and documenting sensory perceptions might be applicable to other diagnostic or therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Services and Nursing Research, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.forename: Godelieve A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.forename: Marguerite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stas
authors.forename: Christel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Janssens
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jérôme
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moons
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology