THE PREVALENCE OF PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY IN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS AT AL-AZHAR UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL IN NEW DAMIETTA CITY

Abstract

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem. There are several etiologies for CKD. It can occur due to either primary kidney disease or as a complication of a multi-systemic disorder. Much emphasis has been placed on the increased cardiovascular risk and electrolyte abnormalities that accompany chronic kidney disease. The dreaded neurological complications are usually the uremic encephalopathy or a vascular event that accompanies hypertension. Objectives: To study the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in uremic patients on hemodialysis and its clinical and neurophysiological characters at Al-Azhar University Hospital in New Damietta. Patients and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study. This study was carried out at HemodialysisCenteratAl-AzharUniversityHospital in New Damietta. Fifty hemodialysis patients were investigated in the HemodialysisCenteratAl-AzharUniversityHospital in New Damietta. All patients were submitted to clinical evaluation by the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI), and Electroneuromyography (ENMG), and laboratory investigations. Results: The results of the study revealed that there was no significant relation between dialysis mode and severity of neuropathy, and there was significant relation between duration of dialysis and neuropathy of the studied cases. Conclusion: The present study emphasized the high prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in a group of patients with end-stage kidney disease under hemodialysis maintenance treatment. The gold standard exam for diagnosis confirmation was nerve conduction studies. Thus, before undergoing dialysis, it would be recommended to submit all patients with CKD to nerve conduction studies.