Elbow Pain Related with Vascular Access Area: An Important but Frequently Overlooked Risk Factor for Upper Extremity Disability in Patients with End Stage Renal Disease

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the presence of elbow pain and its relationship with vascular access site for hemodialysis in end-stage renal disease patients. Methods: One-hundred and nine chronic end-stage renal disease patients over 18 years of age undergoing hemodialysis treatment were enrolled in the study. Patients who had undergone surgery of the upper extremity in the last three months and patients with cancer, chronic hearing loss, or neurologic diseases were excluded. Sociodemographic features were evaluated. The Beck Depression Inventory, the Nottingham Health Profile, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Score, and the Visual Analogue Scale were administered to all patients. Results: One-hundred and nine patients (38 women, 71 men) participated in the study. The mean age of the patients was 62.22 ± 11.64. The patients were grouped based on the presence of elbow pain into Group 1 (elbow pain positive, n=30) and Group 2 (elbow pain negative, n=79). There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of vascular access site and elbow pain site (p=0.002). In addition, the patients with elbow pain were mostly women, and this result was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: According to the results of this study, there may be a relationship between elbow pain and hemodialysis vascular site.