Post-dialysis effects in patients on haemodialysis

Objective: To assess the post-dialysis effects in normal and diabetic patients on haemodialysis. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2013 at two hospitals in Karachi, and comprised patients receiving dialysis. Participants were selected through purposive sampling technique. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. Results: Of the 150 subjects, 148(98.8%) were diabetics. Overall, 93(62%) were men and 57(38%) women. Besides, 22(14.7%) participants were having dialysis as a complication of hypertension and 128(85.3%) as a complication of diabetes. Diabetes was a comorbid condition for 148(98.7%) patients, hypertension for 139(92.7%) and cardiac diseases for 40(26.7%). Of the total, 114(76%) subjects were having dialysis thrice a week, 31(20.7%) twice and 5(3.3%) once. Post-dialysis, dizziness was present every time in 25(16.6%) patients, nausea and vomiting in 14(10%), cramps in 22(14.7%), headache in 21(14%), anxiety and depression in 16(10.7%), hunger in 43(28.7%) and itching in 30(20%). Conclusion: Post-dialysis complications were common in normal and diabetic patients. Nutritional status was found to be poor among long-term dialysis-dependent diabetics.