#1371 Cutaneous manifestations in hemodialysis patients and assessment of the changes in quality of life after 12 weeks of treatment by dermatologist

Abstract

Abstract Background and Aims Cutaneous manifestations are frequently found in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and disturbing quality of life of patients under maintenance hemodialysis. Even dialysis patients frequently visit the hospital, they do not receive active dermatologic care. The aim of this study is to assess the cutaneous manifestations of hemodialysis patients and to investigate changes in quality of life before and after active treatment by dermatologists. Method A 12-weeks, prospective study was conducted with two centers of hemodialysis. Patients in one center received dermatologic intervention and patients in another center received supportive management by nephrologist. Patients scored their quality of life using questionnaires, Dermatology Life Quality index (DLQI) and Skindex-29, on start of study and 12 weeks later. Patients were matched between two groups according to propensity score. Simple and multiple linear regression were used to identify associations of dermatologic treatment and improvement of quality of life. Results A total of 120 patients from two dialysis centers were included in this study, of whom 65 as intervention group and 55 of control group. About 93.8% of patients had dermatologic manifestations, and pallor and xerosis accounted for the most proportion. Improvement in quality of life as assessed by the DLQI were confirmed after 12 weeks in overall population. However, the active intervention by a dermatologist did not affect the improvement of quality of life significantly. Conclusion Patients treated with dermatologic intervention by dermatologist had not improved in quality of life compared with control group. It is important for a nephrologist to carefully assess skin issues of patients with ESKD and provide the best possible treatment.