Credit: Original article published here.
According to Y. Diana Kwong, MD, and colleagues, there are few data available on the symptom burden and quality of life among patients with acute kidney injury treated with intermittent hemodialysis (AKI-D). The researchers conducted a prospective cohort study within a clinical trial (NCT04218370) comparing different hemodialysis schedules in patients with AKI-D.
Results were reported during a poster session at the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings 2023. The poster was titled Understanding Symptoms and Quality of Life of Patients With AKI-D.
Participants in the trial were from two large university health systems. They were asked to complete the dialysis symptom index (DSI) and to rate their overall health and quality of life in the past week on a scale of 1 (very poor) to 7 (excellent) at three time points.
The cohort included 95 participants; of those, 64 completed the survey at study entry point. Six of the 95 declined to participate and 24 had altered mental status, leading to incompletion of the survey. Twenty-eight of the 64 initial study participants were followed to day 90. Loss to follow-up was related most commonly to an inability to contact the patient (n=10) and death (n=6).
Of 30 symptoms included in the DSI, participants reported a median of 13, 11, and eight on day 0, 28, and 90, respectively. On day 0, the most commonly reported symptoms were fatigue (82%), dry mouth (73%), feeling anxious (66%), worrying (65%), and trouble falling asleep (63%). Median health rating score was 3 and median quality of life rating was 3.5.
On day 28, the most commonly reported symptoms were fatigue (63%), dry skin (63%), trouble staying asleep (53%), trouble falling asleep (53%), and nausea (50%). Median health rating was 4 and median quality of life rating was 5.
On day 90, the most commonly reported symptoms were fatigue (57%), itching (52%), trouble staying asleep (52%), dry skin (48%), and feeling anxious (37%). Median health rating was 5 and median quality of life rating was 5.
In summary, the researchers said, “Patients with AKI-D have significant burden of physical and emotional symptoms that continue up to day 90. Overall health and quality-of-life ratings improved over time. Assessment of patient-reported outcomes in this population is often limited by missing data given the patients’ severity of illness.”
Source: Kwong YD, Hsu C-Y, Siew E, et al. Understanding symptoms and quality of life of patients with AKI-D. Poster #14. Abstract of a poster presented at the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings 2023; April 11-15, 2023; Austin, Texas.
