A Study on the effects of comprehensive sodium management on patients with thirst in maintenance hemodialysis

Objective To analyze the effects of comprehensive sodium management on thirst-related indicators(thirst, xerostomia, unstimulated whole saliva), volumetric load (blood pressure, interdialytic weight gain and growth rate) in maintenance hemodialysis. Methods A total of 85 MHD patients with thirst in the Blood Purification Center of Lianyungang First People's Hospital from September 2017 to May 2018 were selected and randomly divided into the experimental group (42 cases) and the control group (43 cases). The control group received routine low-salt diet education and standardized sodium dialysis treatment. The experimental group received comprehensive sodium management including low-salt diet intervention based on the behavioral phased theoretical model, and performed individualized sodium dialysis treatment according to the patient's plasma sodium level. After 12 weeks of intervention, the two groups were compared before and after intervention, with respect to thirst, xerostomia, unstimulated whole saliva, blood pressure, and interdialytic weight gain and growth rate. Results After 12 weeks of comprehensive management of sodium, thirst, xerostomia, unstimulated whole saliva, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and interdialytic weight gain and growth rate exhibited statistically significant differences in both the experimental group and the control group, compared to those before intervention (P<0.05). Conclusions In patients with MDH, comprehensive sodium management can reduce thirst, improve blood pressure, reduce weight gain during dialysis interval, and reduce volumetric load.