Effect of Blood Pump Flow and Arteriovenous Fistula Blood Flow on the Blood Pressure and Cardiac Function in Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis.

The effect of blood pump flow rate on the cardiac functions of hemodialysis patients with arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate if blood pump flow rate (Qb) and AVF access flow rate (Qa) can affect the cardiac function of Chinese hemodialysis patients. A total of 72 patients undergoing AVF hemodialysis were included from March 2010 to June 2014 and dichotomized into the high- and low-flow groups using the medians of Qb (220 mL/min) and Qa (1000 mL/min) as the cutoffs.

Poor sleep and reduced quality of life were associated with symptom distress in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis.

Background: The quality of life in patients receiving chronic hemodialysis is compromised despite of the substantial achievements in treatments. Quality of life in hemodialysis patients have been shown to be associated with decreased survival and increased hospitalization. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate the managements of symptoms and patient self-perceived well-being as measurements of effective treatments for these patients.