Observational study of nutritional status of ESRD patients on Hemodialysis

Original Research Article

Abstract

Kidney’s functions are completely lost at end stage renal disease (ESRD), where it cannot meet body's needs of excretion of waste materials. Dialysis is a medical treatment that artificially removes waste products, excess fluid and toxins from the blood. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)<15 mL/min. is termed as end-stage renal disease. Treatment modality includes maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) for survival. Protein-energy malnutrition is very prominent feature in these patients. The data selection was convenience-based sampling from Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Hospital, Jaipur. Data collection was done in 4 phases in 30 patients who fulfilled inclusion criteria. The results revealed that 30 patients undergoing dialysis showed history of hypertension in which 19 (63.3%) were also diagnosed with Anaemia of Chronic disease (AOCD), indicating a substantial prevalence of anaemia within this population. Additionally, 7 out of 30 patients (23.3%) had diabetes mellitus highlighting the importance of managing co-morbid condition alongside hypertension. This can be concluded that the patients who are on haemodialysis have a special dietary restriction, need to manage intake of protein & electrolytes to prevent complications. Patients need to carefully monitor fluid intake. Many dialysis patients observed anaemia due to erythropoietin deficiency, requiring regular monitoring and treatment. Dialysis does not replace the loss of erythropoietin, which is vital for maintaining healthy red blood cell levels.