Evidence summary for the application and management of non-coring needles in implantable venous access devices for cancer patients

To search, evaluate and synthesize the evidence on the use and management of non-coring needles for implanted venous access ports in cancer patients, aimed at developing evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to optimize patient care and safety. This study follows the reporting frameworks for evidence summaries from the Fudan University Center for Evidence-Based Nursing. The evidence-based question was formulated based on the PIPOST model. In accordance with the “5S” evidence model, a systematic search was conducted across Chinese and English clinical decision-making systems, guidelines, nursing professional association and government websites, and databases for literature pertaining to the use and management of non-coring needles. The literature types contain clinical decisions, guidelines, evidence summaries, systematic reviews, expert consensuses, and practice standards, with the search timeframe from the inception of each database to November 2025. Two researchers independently performed literature quality assessment and data extraction, and our research team synthesized the extracted evidence. A total of 13 publications were included, consisting of 2 guidelines, 2 evidence summaries, 2 systematic reviews, 3 randomized controlled trials, and 4 expert consensus. And we compiled 35 best-practice recommendations across 6 domains: staff training, pre-puncture assessment, insertion and application, replacement and removal, identification and management of complications, and patient education. This study culminated the best evidence summary for the use and management of non-coring needles in totally implantable venous access devices (TIVAD) among cancer patients, which can provide an evidence-based basis for standardizing clinical practice. Healthcare professionals are advised to apply these recommendations judiciously by considering specific clinical situation and patient preferences, thereby minimizing non-coring needle related complications, enhancing treatment safety and the quality of life among cancer patients, and ultimately contribute to the continuous quality improvement in intravenous therapy for oncology care. Registration statement: This study has been registered at Fudan University Center for the Evidence-based Nursing (No. ES20259325).