Abstract

RODRIGUEZ CALERO, Miguel Ángel et al. Evaluation of chronic pain in a population of patients on haemodialysis. Rev Soc Esp Enferm Nefrol [online]. 2007, vol.10, n.2, pp.65-71. ISSN 1139-1375.

Pain is a frequent symptom in patients undergoing dialysis, having a negative effect on their quality of life. Greater access to dialysis therapy, more time spent by patients on haemodialysis programmes and aging population have contributed to the habitual presence of pain in the life of these people. This study evaluates chronic pain in a population of patients on haemodialysis using validated valuation instruments used in other disciplines, which have been used recently in haemodialysis patients. 82.1% of our patients indicated that they felt pain at home, only 7 patients denied having pain and only in 28.12% of cases the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) used to determine the intensity of pain was zero. Non-pharmacological measures such as heat, massages or changes in posture showed similar efficiency to treatment with drugs. The time spent on haemodialysis and the value of PTHi were related statistically to the intensity of the pain and the qualitative description of it, frequently altering the activities of patients' daily lives, mainly moving/walking and general activity. These connections, described for the first time in scientific literature, could explain in part the high prevalence of this symptom and the high percentage of muscular-skeletal pain referred by our patients.

Keywords : pain; haemodialysis; visual analogue scale; analgesia.

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