Intradialytic Muscle Cramp and its Association with Peripheral Arterial Disease in End Stage Renal Disease Patients on Hemodialysis

Introduction: Muscle cramp is a common intradialytic complication observed in hemodialysis patients. Similarly Peripheral arterial disease is a common condition in the hemodialysis population. No study on intradialytic muscle cramp and its association with Peripheral arterial disease is yet reported from Nepal. 
 Methods: Fifty patients with a diagnosis of End Stage Renal Disease who were on hemodialysis were studied over a period of one year. Muscle cramp was defined clinically as contractions of a large muscle group and Peripheral arterial disease was diagnosed on the basis of the ankle –brachial index. Chi square (X2) test was used to determine the association between Intradialytic Muscle cramps and Peripheral Arterial Disease. 
 Results: A total of 50 End Stage Renal Disease patients were analyzed. The mean age of the patient was 49.81±12.63 years. The major causes of End Stage Renal Disease in the study population was Chronic Glomerulonephritis 40 % (n=20). Muscle cramps were present in 26% (n=13) cases. Peripheral arterial disease was present in 30% (n=15) of patients. However there was no statistically significant association between the presence of Intradialytic Muscle cramps and peripheral arterial disease (p value =0.18) 
 Conclusions: Intradialytic Muscle cramps and peripheral arterial disease were common occurrence in end stage renal disease patients on hemodialysis patients, however there was no association between the presence of intradialytic Muscle cramps and peripheral arterial disease. 
 Keywords: end stage renal disease; intradialytic muscle cramps; peripheral arterial disease