Background: The study aimed to determine renal osteodystrophy, pain, pruritus, and comfort level in hemodialysis patients and examine the relationship between them and the a#ecting factors.
Methods: The study population consisted of 244 hemodialysis patients in the province of X and its districts, and the sample consisted of 163 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using a Patient Identification Form, the 5-D Itch Scale, the Brief Pain Inventory, and the Hemodialysis Comfort Scale Version II.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 62.07 ± 13.51 years. According to parathormone levels, 26.4% had low bone turn over renal osteodystrophy, 30.7% had normal bone turnover, and 42.9% had high bone turn over renal osteodystrophy. The total score on the comfort scale was 99.96 ± 12.28. According to the Brief Pain Inventory, the mean pain level in the last 24 hours was 2.13 ± 2.10, and the 5-D Itch Scale score was 8.26 ± 374. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the comfort scale score and the mean pain score (r = $0.409, P < .001) and the itch scale score (r = −0.181, P = .021). A positive significant correlation was determined between the itch scale score and the mean pain score (r = 0.292, P < .001). There was a positive relationship between the mean pain score and P level (r = 0.167, P = .033), a positive relationship between the itch scale score and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (r = 0.160, P = .041), and a positive relationship with creatinine (r = 0.157, P = .045).
Conclusion: It was observed that elevated phosphorus increased pain and that elevated BUN and creatinine increased pruritus. It was determined that pain and pruritus negatively a#ected patient comfort and that pruritus increased the pain score.
Cite this article as: Korkmaz SA, Topba" E. Relationship between renal osteodystrophy, pain, pruritus, and comfort in hemodialysis patients. Turk J Nephrol. 2025;34(1):52-62.