Abstract

ALBANIL FRIAS, Tamara; RAMIREZ MORENO, María del Carmen  and  CRESPO MONTERO, Rodolfo. Analysis of the quality of life in ambulatory hemodialysis patients and its relationship to the degree of dependence. Enferm Nefrol [online]. 2014, vol.17, n.3, pp.167-174. ISSN 2255-3517.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S2254-28842014000300002.

Introduction: A low quality of life has been related to health (HRQL) in patients on hemodialysis (HD), female sex, adulthood, marital status, employment situation, etc. However, there are not many studies that go into the interaction among cognitive decay, quality of life, dotage and HD in depth. This is the reason why we considered to carry on this study. Objetive: To anlyse the HRQL for patients suffering renal failure and receiving substitutional treatment with outpatient HD and its relation to the dependence level. Patients and Methods: It was conducted the SF-36 health survey to assess the HRQL of forty-three patients in HD from the dialysis outlying centre of HURS in Córdoba. For the dependence analysis it was used the Karnofsky scale. It was also included sociodemographic variables and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Results: In relation to the HRQL it was found: Physical function 49.6±30, General health 40.4±22, Physical role 50.5±34.4, Emotional role 81.7±28.3, Body pain 55.6±31.9, Vitality 51.4±31.5, Social function 58.43±36, Mental health 69.6±22.8. The Karnosfky scale score was 76.5±24.7 (55.8% of patients were able to do normal activities, 34.9% were able to work and 9.4% were able to take care of themselves). It was found correlation between age and Karnofsky scale (r=-0.58, p<0.01) and with the CCI (r=0.81, p<0.01); correlation between the CCI and Karnofsky (r=-0.54, p<0.01), mental health dimension (r=0.36, p<0.05), physical function dimension (r=-0.43, p <0.01) and social function dimension (r=-0.31, p<0.05). Conclusions: These results show that the patients tested have worse HRQL, with low score in all SF-36 dimensions comparing to the reference values of Spanish general population. Among them, the physical role dimension is the most affected, followed by the social and physical function dimensions respectively; and the least affected are the mental health and emotional role dimensions. This worse HRQL is associated to higher age, comorbidity and dependence.

Keywords : Quality of life; hemodialysis; dependence; comorbidity.

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