Despite hemodialysis methods have been improved more than before and the quality of treatment has been more enhanced. preceding researches report that the hemodialysis patients are still suffering from various troubles in their social life or ordinary...
Despite hemodialysis methods have been improved more than before and the quality of treatment has been more enhanced. preceding researches report that the hemodialysis patients are still suffering from various troubles in their social life or ordinary living. The patients suffering from the chronic and complex disease or renal failure experience a variety of physical symptoms associated with the hemodialysis. As it is expected that the geriatric or diabetes patients at the risk of hemodialysis will increase, it is necessary to conduct an empirical research into such problems.
The purpose of this study was to measure the physical symptoms and level of fatigue three times after hemodialysis in consideration of patients' age and thereby, provide for some basic data useful to clinical nursing interventions to relieve them of fatigue.
For this purpose, the researcher sampled 117 terminal renal failure patients from 5 hospitals in Seoul and Inchon areas and thereupon, conducted a questionnaire survey for them from August 28 through September 22, 2007. The data collected from the survey were statistically analyzed using the SPSS/PC WIN 12.0 program.
The results of this study can be summarized as follows;
1. The subjects were aged 55.93 on average, and their monthly treatment cost amounted to 34.02 thousand wons. They had been treated with the hemodialysis for 66.44 months on average.
2. The overall physical symptoms did not significantly differ depending on the time elapsed after hemodialysis. (F=2.717, P=.102). Specifically, all 10 symptoms but 'insomnia' were not significantly different over time after hemodialysis: 'buccal dry', 'headache', 'constipation', 'nausea', 'sleepy hands and feet', 'itching', 'tiredness', 'oversensitiveness' and 'short-breathing'. 'Insomnia' differed between pre- and post-hemodialysis (2.13 vs. 1.94) or between the day of hemodialysis and the next day (2.13 vs. 1.96). (F=4.021, P=.047), Namely, patients tended to suffer more from insomnia before hemodialysis than after it. The symptoms differed over time depending age were 'short-breathing'(F=4.155, P=.044) and 'tiredness'(F=5.721, P=.018), while the symptoms different over time after hemodialysis were 'insomnia'(F=4.487, P=.036) and 'oversensitiveness'(F=4.627, P=.034).
3. The total level of fatigue scored on average 66.97, 87.17 and 64.94 before hemodialysis, after hemodialysis and the next day, respectively, but such differences were not significant statistically (F=.000, P=.985). The total indicators of fatigue level were 16: 'tired', 'sleepy', 'dull', 'languid', 'not energetic', 'powerful', 'vigorous', 'efficient', 'vital', 'exhausted', 'burnout', 'difficult to open eyes', 'difficult to move', 'difficult to concentrate', 'difficult to talk' and 'would like to lie'. All these indicators but 'would like to lie' and 'dull' did not significantly differ over time after hemodialysis. 'Would like to lie' was strongest after hemodialysis (F=22.684, P=.000), while 'dull' was most conspicuous before hemodialysis (F=8.801, P=.004). There was found no significant difference of fatigue levels depending on age (F=2.807, P=.097), while whether or not drinking coffee affected the level of fatigue over time after hemodialysis (F=7.898, P=.006).
As discussed above, although the hemodialysis patients' overall physical symptoms and total fatigue levels did not significantly differ over time after hemodialysis, it is deemed necessary to take care of the initial hemodialysis patients to help them well adapted to the hemodialysis treatment because the physical symptoms may be affected by some psychological factors. Besides, the finding that patients were most fatigue after hemodialysis suggests that nurses should intervene in them to encourage them to fall asleep after hemodialysis to be relieved of fatigue as much as possible.