Assessment of the psychological burden associated with pruritus in hemodialysis patients using the kidney disease quality of life short form.

Purpose: To assess whether depression symptoms, poor sleep and dry skin bother explain association between pruritus and the burden of kidney disease in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of 980 patients from a prospective study in dialysis units of Salvador, Brazil (PROHEMO). The Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form was used to determine scores of kidney disease burden (KDB) and sleep with higher scores indicating lower perceived burden and better sleep quality, respectively.

[Prescription of phosphorus binders and calcitriol for chronic hemodialysis patients].

Objective: To describe the frequency of prescription of phosphate binders (PB) and calcitriol for patients on chronic hemodialysis in Salvador, Brazil, and to assess whether treatment is in agreement with recommendations of the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI).

Methods: Cross section of baseline data of the PROHEMO study. The frequency of prescription of PB and calcitriol according to laboratory indicators of mineral metabolism was compared with K/DOQI recommendations.