[Sleep quality of patients in End Stage Renal Disease before and after starting chronic hemodialysis treatment: a longitudinal study].

Introduction: Sleep disorders are very common in patients with chronic kidney disease, with a prevalence of poor sleep quality of around 40%. Objectives: The purpose of the study is to compare the sleep quality of ESRD patients before hemodialysis (Pre-HD), three months (Post-HD 1) and six months after the start of treatment (Post-HD 2) through the use of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Methods: Patients in ESRD were recruited from the U.O.C. of Nephrology and Dialysis of the Maggiore Hospital in Modica and biographical and anamnestic data were collected. The PSQI was administered in-person at the Pre-HD stage and by telephone re-test at the three- and six-month follow-up. Results: A total of 71 patients (males=62%, age 68 ± 16) were included. At Pre-HD assessment 93% reported poor sleep quality, the percentage increased to 98% during Post-HD 1 and it partially improved during Post-HD 2 with a prevalence of 95%. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) by repeated measures showed a difference in sleep quality between the three time points. Conclusions: Sleep quality undergoes important changes during the transition from conservative to hemodialysis patient, highlighting a critical period related to the first three months of treatment. More attention to this phase may improve the patient's quality of life and reduce the associated risk of mortality.
(Copyright by Società Italiana di Nefrologia SIN, Rome,Italy.)