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.

[Comparisons of quality of life measures between women and men on hemodialysis].

Objective: To compare men and women on chronic hemodialysis in relation to their scores in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and evaluate the potential influence of age and comorbidities on the comparison.

Methods: Cross-section of the baseline data of 254 women and 349 men, participants of the PROHEMO Study that has been developed in dialysis units of Salvador. By using the version of the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form KDQOL-SF, validated for the Brazilian population, the following scores were determined: physical component summary (PCS), mental component summary [MCS] and the scale for symptoms/problems related to renal disease.