Abstract
Xerostomia plays a major role in higher interdialytic weight gain (IDWG), which causes cardiovascular complications in patients who undergo hemodialysis. However, few studies have determined a method to manage xerostomia. This study determines the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on hemodialysis patients with xerostomia and the percentage of IDWG. The study was a single-blind and quasi-experimental study. There are 75 participants: 37 in the TEAS group and 38 in the contrast group. The TEAS group used 250 µs and 50 Hz and the contrast group used 50 µs and 2 Hz three times a week for 3 weeks to stimulate ST 6 and TE17 acupoints. The salivary flow rates, dry mouth, and %IDWG were determined before, during and one week after the program. Compared with the contrast group, the TEAS group showed a significantly improved salivary flow rate (mL/min) (F (2, 123) = 15.28, p < 0.0001), and patients recovered their normal salivary flow rate. However, the results show that both groups showed significant improvement in dry mouth after treatment. The TEAS group demonstrated no effect in terms of %IDWG, as expected. The results show that a TEAS program is an effective means of symptom management for xerostomia patients who undergo hemodialysis. A TEAS program can be used to manage symptoms for xerostomia patients who undergo hemodialysis.
Highlights
Cardiovascular complications, such as high blood pressure and heart failure, are the most frequent causes of death for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) [1]
The results show that there is no significant difference in age and years of schooling (p > 0.05), but there is a significant difference in the duration of hemodialysis (t = −3.28, p = 0.002) for the two groups (Table 1)
This study shows that, after the nine transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) treatments, the amount of saliva that is produced demonstrates that stimulating the Jiache points (ST 6) and the Yifeng points (TE17) for 250 μs at 50 Hz increases the quantity of saliva for xerostomia patients that undergo hemodialysis
Summary
Cardiovascular complications, such as high blood pressure and heart failure, are the most frequent causes of death for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) [1]. Redundant fluid in the body is removed through regular dialysis, but patients who undergo hemodialysis are required to restrict liquid absorption, which is monitored using the principle that the total of interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) accounts for less than 5% of dry weight [2]. The results of many studies show that only 23% to 38% of patients comply with fluid restrictions [3–5]. Some studies demonstrate that less saliva is produced by patients who undergo hemodialysis than by normal people [12–14]. A small amount of saliva (hyposalivary) may be a dangerous factor that results in xerostomia and IDWG for these patients
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