The Effect of Dialysis Solution Temperature and Stepwise Ultrafiltration Profile on Dialysis Adequacy and Pruritus in Hemodialysis Patients: A Quasi-experimental Study

Background: Patients with renal insufficiency who receive hemodialysis should be continuously monitored to avoid possible complications, as they are at increased risk of several problems, including pruritus, as one of the most annoying problems. It seems that dialysis adequacy affects the pruritus of hemodialysis patients. Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the effect of dialysis solution temperature and stepwise ultrafiltration profile on dialysis adequacy and pruritus of hemodialysis patients. Methods: Following a single group quasi-experimental design, 34 eligible hemodialysis patients admitted to the hemodialysis ward of Zahedan Medical Center (Iran) in 2020 were recruited using the convenience sampling technique. All patients attended three standard dialysis sessions (at a temperature of 37°C) and three cold dialysis sessions (36°C) with a stepwise dialysis ultrafiltration profile. Dialysis adequacy was measured at the end of each session, and Yosipovitch’s Pruritus Severity Scale (PSS) was filled before and after each dialysis session. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency, mean, and standard deviation). Mean scores before and after dialysis were paired by t-test using SPSS version 22. Statistical significance was considered when P-value < 0.05. Results: The mean and standard deviation of dialysis adequacy in both standard dialysis and cold dialysis techniques with stepwise ultrafiltration profile were 1.18 ± 0.36 and 1.44 ± 0.48, respectively, indicating that dialysis adequacy of the cold dialysis method with stepwise ultrafiltration profile was significantly higher (P = 0.001). Besides, the mean pruritus scores in the standard dialysis and cold dialysis methods with stepwise ultrafiltration profile were -0.73 ± 0.80 and -1.73 ± 1.16, respectively, showing a significant difference (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Cold hemodialysis with a stepwise ultrafiltration profile can be used as a simple and low-cost technique to improve both dialysis adequacy and relieve pruritus in hemodialysis patients.