Supportive Therapy for Fatigue in Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract

Fatigue is an enervating symptom of prolonged dialysis of patients and significantly impacts the health related quality of life of dialysis patients. Reduction of fatigue in dialysis patients is a challenging task for any health care provider. Fatigue develops during long term dialysis usually due to chronic health conditions associated with prolonged dialysis. The contributing factors for fatigue in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients may be broadly classified into physiological, psychological / behavioural, socio-demographic and dialysis related factors. It is known that some of these factors are modifiable leading to reduction in fatigue. A multidisciplinary health care strategy comprising alternative therapy such as acupressure; mind based therapy such as meditation, deep breathing and yoga; body based therapies such as physical activity, therapeutic exercise, body massage; biological based therapy such as diet and nutrition shall help to reduce the fatigue in dialysis population. Conclusion: To improve the patient care and health related quality of life in dialysis patients, nurses should develop a framework for decreasing the fatigue. This concept paper describes the various therapies available for reducing the fatigue and discusses the ways of including these supportive and alternative therapies into regular medical care. Key words: Fatigue, ESRD, hemodialysis, alternative and supportive therapy