Clinical and paraclinical characteristics of patients undergoing hemodialysis

Introduction: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is an irreversible decrease in kidney function with severe consequences. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate clinical and paraclinical characteristics of hemodialysis patients. Patients and Methods: This study was a descriptive-analytical performed on 105 patients undergoing hemodialysis referred to Bou Ali and Velayat hospitals in Qazvin. The data were included age, gender, duration of dialysis, kind of vascular access, kind of catheter, site of catheters, weight, height, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, kind of flux, use of midodrine, kind of dialysis solution, number of dialysis per week, calcium (Ca), iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), ferritin, parathyroid hormone (PTH), Kt/V, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr). The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results: The mean age of the patients was 60.97±15.13 years and 44.8% of the patients were females. The mean number of dialysis per week was 2.84 times with a mean duration of 3.90 years. The mean Cr level was 8.89±3.14 mg/dL. Males had higher level of BUN (55.91±16.06 mg/dL versus 65.24±17.53 mg/ dL, P=0.006) and Cr (8.09±2.43 mg/dL versus 9.59±3.47 mg/dL, P=0.010). Arteriovenous fistula/AVF was the most common vascular access (76.2% of cases). With increasing BUN, number of dialysis per week and weight, the level of Cr increases significantly (P<0.05). In the younger patients, Cr showed low level compared to the older patients. Conclusion: The number of dialysis per week, weight and BUN level is factors to predict the level of Cr and with increasing these factors, the level of Cr increases. The mean Cr level was high which showed inadequacy of hemodialysis in these patients. The level of Cr and BUN is higher in men.