Fatigue in People Undergoing Hemodialysis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Fatigue, a common symptom reported by people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is a nonspecific and invisible symptom and is a phenomenon that is poorly understood by healthcare professionals. There is limited understanding of the level of fatigue experienced by people with ESRD, with research currently limited to people treated with hemodialysis. AIM: Levels of fatigue as experienced by people undergoing hemodialysis (HD) were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue (VAS-F). METHOD: The VAS-F was completed by 138 people with ESRD who were patients of HD units in Sivas, Turkey. Demographic and renal health history data were also collected with a structured questionnaire. The statistical analyses used in order to evaluate the data include: student's t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Pearson correlation test, and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The level of fatigue experienced by people with HD in our study was high, and their energy level was low. Univariate analysis showed that levels of fatigue differed by gender, age, education, employment, and presence of anemia. However, logistic regression analysis, age, and duration of dialysis were found to be the independent predictors of fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study indicated that high levels of fatigue are experienced. In order to improve patient care and promote patient's quality of life, nephrology professionals should understand the comprehensive assessment of fatigue and work with patients to initiate a range of strategies and interventions to address it.