An Evaluation of the Quality of Nursing Care Provided for Vascular Access in Hemodialysis Patients

Care for vascular access of patients undergoing hemodialysis is a critical issue. Inflammation and subsequent infection are the major factors which threaten patients'' health and diminish effectiveness of hemodialysis. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the severity and incidence of inflammation of vascular access in hemodialysis patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 patients undergoing hemodialysis in Emam Reza and Montazerie Hospitals in Mashhad, June, 2014. Evaluation of inflammation severity over the course of one month (12 hemodialysis sessions) was performed by means of an inflammation tool designed by the Board of Nursing. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16, and performing descriptive and Chi-square tests. The mean and standard deviation of incidence of inflammation in the first session of hemodialysis was 3.2±1.3 cases. The mean and standard deviation of the intensity of inflammation was 12.5±4.7. Since inflammation of vascular access in hemodialysis patients impairs their safety and health improvement, necessary measures to reduce this complication must be taken.