Comparison of quality of life (QoL) in patients undergoing hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis

The growing incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) suggests a surge in the number of patients undergoing dialysis and experiencing the problems associated with this treatment, one of which is low quality of life (QoL). The present study was conducted to compare QoL among patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD). This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 77 HD patients and 46 PD patients who were admitted to Imam Reza and Ghaem hospitals, Tehran, Iran, in 2018. QoL was assessed using the Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36). The resulting data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and ANOVA. Urinary tract infection and income level had a significant impact on QoL. In addition, QoL differed significantly between HD and PD patients, such that PD patients enjoyed a greater QoL score. Similarly, there was a significant difference between HD and PD patients in terms of general health, social functioning, energy and vitality, emotional health, as well as objective and mental aspects of quality of life. In fact, PD patients showed higher scores in all these domains. In addition, bodily pain was higher in HD patients than PD patients. Based on the findings, the overall QoL in PD patients was higher than that of HD patients. Thus, considering the advantages of PD, patients should be encouraged to choose this treatment method