Evaluation of Health-related Quality of Life in Regular Hemodialysis Patients Using the KDQOL-SFTM Questionnaire

Background: in end-stage chronic renal failure, treatments like hemodialysis induce substantial changes in lifestyle. Such therapies aim to achieve functional improvement by reducing symptoms and/or slowing disease progression. Objective: to evaluate the health-related quality of life in patients undergoing regular hemodialysis. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in chronic renal failure patients undergoing regular hemodialysis in the hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis service of the Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Military Hospital from January through February 2013. The Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form version 1.3 was used to evaluate the health-related quality of life. Results: generic dimensions with lower scores were the physical role, general health perception and emotional role. The specific dimensions with lower scores were the burden of kidney disease, employment status and sexual function while dimensions with higher scores were specific: relationship with the dialysis staff (85.62 points), cognitive function (84.33 points) and quality of social relationship (82.88 points). Conclusion: As in other countries, the KDQOL-SF enables the evaluation of health-related quality of life in regular hemodialysis patients in Cuba, since it allows effectively identifying the dimensions and areas most affected

Quality of Life related to health in the morbidity of periodic hemodialysis patient

Foundation: chronic renal failure has a negative impact in the quality of life and constitutes a morbidity predictor in patients with periodic hemodialysis.Objective: to evaluate the influence of quality of life related to health in the morbidity of patients in intermittent periodic hemodialysis.Methods: a descriptive study was done in patients with three or more time of intermittent periodic hemodialysis at the Nephrology service of the Military Hospital Dr. Carlos J. Finlay. Havana, in a 12 month follow up period. The variables analyzed were: age, sex, time with the substituting renal function treatment, morbidity rate, type of morbidity in hemodialysis and hospital admission rate. A questionnaire for quality of life in patients with renal disease (version 1.3) was applied.Results: patients under 60 years old predominated, of high schooling level, with blood hypertension mainly due to renal failure.  The most frequent morbidities were: chills, arterial Hypotension, and complications related to vascular access. The admission rate was low. The summary physical component had the lower punctuation followed by the summary mental component. Among these and age there was found an inversely proportional correlation, so as the morbidity rate and the summary physical component.Conclusion: the results obtained are related to preceding studies. The physical component summary results with higher involvement, mainly in the older adult, considering the negative relation with the morbidity rate and hospital admission.</p

Arritmias ventriculares en pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica terminal en hemodiálisis. Monitorización Holter intradialítica

Introducción: las arritmias cardíacas son frecuentes en pacientes hemodializados y pueden contribuir a su mortalidad. Objetivo: estimar la frecuencia de aparición de arritmias ventriculares intradialíticas potencialmente fatales en pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica terminal en hemodiálisis y su asociación con variables clínicas, laboratorio, electrocardiográficas y ecocardiográficas. Material y Métodos: se investigaron 34 pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica terminal en hemodiálisis de tres hospitales de La Habana. A todos se les realizó ecocardiograma, electrocardiograma, potasio, calcio, urea en sangre. Se monitorizaron con Holter en la primera y segunda diálisis de la semana. Se obtuvieron 68 registros. Resultados: 36 registros (53%) exhibieron arritmias ventriculares y 32 (47%) no mostraron arritmias; 22 registros (32%) presentaron arritmias ventriculares potencialmente fatales. Los principales factores asociados con significación estadística a arritmias ventriculares potencialmente fatales fueron: edad &gt;45 años, tensión arterial media postdialítica &gt;105 mmHg, e infradesnivel del ST &gt;2 mm. La presencia de hipertrofia ventricular izquierda, la fracción de eyección &lt; 50 %, el tiempo en diálisis &gt;5 años, la existencia de arritmias auriculares y la tensión media arterial predialítica&gt;105 mmHg; se asociaron a arritmias complejas, pero no mostraron significación estadística. Los promedios de edad, tensión arterial media postdialítica, potasio predialítico, duración del QT, grosor del tabique y pared posterior del ventrículo izquierdo, fueron superiores en los casos que registraron arritmias ventriculares complejas o potencialmente fatales. Conclusiones: la mayoría de los registros obtenidos mediante Holter durante la diálisis exhibieron arritmias ventriculares. Existió un predominio de las arritmias ventriculares potencialmente fatales.  Palabras clave: hemodiálisis, arritmias ventriculares, Enfermedad Renal Crónica Terminal, monitorización holter, electrocardiografía. </p

Quality of Life related to health in the morbidity of periodic hemodialysis patient

Foundation: chronic renal failure has a negative impact in the quality of life and constitutes a morbidity predictor in patients with periodic hemodialysis.Objective: to evaluate the influence of quality of life related to health in the morbidity of patients in intermittent periodic hemodialysis.Methods: a descriptive study was done in patients with three or more time of intermittent periodic hemodialysis at the Nephrology service of the Military Hospital Dr. Carlos J. Finlay. Havana, in a 12 month follow up period. The variables analyzed were: age, sex, time with the substituting renal function treatment, morbidity rate, type of morbidity in hemodialysis and hospital admission rate. A questionnaire for quality of life in patients with renal disease (version 1.3) was applied.Results: patients under 60 years old predominated, of high schooling level, with blood hypertension mainly due to renal failure.  The most frequent morbidities were: chills, arterial Hypotension, and complications related to vascular access. The admission rate was low. The summary physical component had the lower punctuation followed by the summary mental component. Among these and age there was found an inversely proportional correlation, so as the morbidity rate and the summary physical component.Conclusion: the results obtained are related to preceding studies. The physical component summary results with higher involvement, mainly in the older adult, considering the negative relation with the morbidity rate and hospital admission.</p