How Do Thai Patients with End Stage Renal Disease Adapt to Being Dependent on Haemodialysis?: A Pilot Study

Tuesday, July 12, 2011: 4:05 PM

Kantaporn Yodchai, RN, MSN1
Trisha Dunning, AM, RN, MEd, PhD1
Alison Hutchinson, RN, BAppSci, MBioeth, PhD2
Areewan Oumtanee, RN, PhD3
Sally Savage, BA(Hons), PhD4
(1)School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing & Behavioural Sciences, Victoria, Australia
(2)School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing & Behavioural Sciences, Melbourne, Australia
(3)Faculty of Nursing, Chulalongkorn University, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand
(4)School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing & Behavioural Sciences and Barwon Health, Victoria, Australia

Learning Objective 1: The participant may receive a new experience and receive benefit from oral presentation.

Learning Objective 2: The participant may gain knowledge and able to contact with professional network worldwide.

Purpose:

To conduct a pilot study to explore how HD affects Thai patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and understand the experiences of HD patients and their perspectives about adapting to being dependant on HD.

Methods:  

Data were collected using semi-structured interviews that focused on problems, feelings, thoughts, attitudes, and ways of adapting to HD.  Grounded theory method was selected to guide data collection and analysis.

Results:

Five patients (age range 24 to 66 years; mean 44.60 years; mode = 24) participated in the study. Four main coping processes emerged during data analysis: planning, adjustment and avoidance, belief in religion and superstition, and living with hope.  In addition, the patients reported a range of adverse effects of HD including fluid restriction, fatigue, effects on sexual activity, altered body image, fear of dying, stress and depression, and suicide.

 Conclusion:

Thai patients with ESRD felt treatment, including HD, adversely affected their lives and required physical, psychological, and social changes to enable them to cope.  They reported use of a range of strategies to deal with the adverse effects.