Study on neurological complications in dialysis patients

Hemodialysis is considered as a routin treatment for end stag renal disease (ESRD). However several early complications such as headache, nausea & vomiting, seizure, etc. are obserbed. Dementia is also a late and rare but fatal complication. Therefore, we carried out a study to fined out a bether way to reduce these complications. Methods & materials: In a cross sectional study 120 patients treated with dialysis were naurologically examined and their blood samples were checked for Sodium (Na) and Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) before and after dialysis. The results of the tests were statistically analysed in SPSS software using X2 & student t-test. Out of 120 patients, 56 (46.7%) had no dialysis complication but the rest of patients had complications as follows: headache 54 (45%) Nausea and vomiting 31 (25.8%), agitation 21 (17.5%), unconsciousness 12 (10%), seizure 5 (4.2%) and dementia 3 (2.8%). The patients with dementia had dialysis experience mor than 52 months. The results showed significant relationship between complications and beginning of dialysis (p<0.05). the mean of dialysis period from beginning of dialysis was 31.75 months and dialysis speed was 220.78ml/min. results also showed that BUN amount decreased in half but Na amount increased in this patients. There were no significant relationship between mean of Na and BUN and neurological complications befor and after dialysis (p>0.05). those patients with tendency to dialysis complications (dialysis disequilibrium syndrome) are recommend have dialysis with lower speed and for the adequacy of dialysis a shorter period but frequent dialysis is sugested. Since aluminum ion is considered as the agent for pathogenesis of dementia, further studies need to be carried out to identify the pathogenesis.