Effects of tai chi on catheter management and quality of life in tumor patients with PICC at the intermission of chemotherapy: a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial

Background Peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is widely used in chemotherapy due to its minimal complications and simple wound care. This study explored the effects of tai chi on catheterrelated complications, catheter management ability, and quality of life in tumor patients with PICC at the intermission of chemotherapy. Methods This study was an open parallel trial. A total of 98 patients with malignant tumors who underwent long-term chemotherapy with PICC were randomly divided into an observation group (49 cases) and a control group (49 cases). The control group received grip strength exercise for 3 months, while the observation group received 24 simplified tai chi exercises. The coagulation function, thrombosis rate, self-management ability, and quality of life were compared between the two groups before and after the intervention. Results After the intervention, the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT) in the observation group were longer than those in the control group, while fibrinogen (FIB) was lower than that in the control group (all P 0.05). The incidence of venous thrombosis in the observation group was lower than that in the control group, the difference was statistically significant ( χ 2 =4.439, P=0.035). Conclusions Tai chi can prevent PICC thrombosis, reduce PICC-related complications, improve selfmanagement ability, and improve quality of life in at-home patients with long-term PICC.