Quality of Life and Hemoglobin Levels of Hemodialysis Patient at Siriraj Hospital

Objective: To evaluate the relationship of the quality of life (QOL), and hemoglobin (Hb) level of hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study. Face-to-face interviews using a Kidney Disease Quality of Life - Short Form (KDQOL-SF™1.3) questionnaire (which consisted of SF-36 and kidney disease questionnaires) were conducted during November-December 2009 with 152 patients receiving hemodialysis at Siriraj hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. QOL measures were compared in stepwise Hb levels of ≤9, >9 to 10, >10 to 11, >11 to 12, and >12 g/dl. Scores of QOL and Hb level were examined for the relationship and statistical significance by using ANOVA. Results: The increasing Hb levels are statistically significant increases in kidney disease domain scores on the kidney disease component of the questionnaire (p=0.042). About the SF36 component, the difference between 5 groups of Hb levels were significant in the general health (p=0.023), role emotion (p=0.015), social functioning (p=0.008), and mental component summary scores (p=0.039). Conclusion: The difference of the Hb levels were statistically significant differences in the effects of kidney disease, general health, role emotion, and social function scores, and mental component summary scores of the KDQOL-SF questionnaire. However, a long-term assessment should be considered. These findings have implications for the care of hemodialysis patients in terms of the initiation of the Hb target of erythropoietin (EPO) therapy