Dietary and fluid compliance: an educational intervention for patients having haemodialysis

This paper is a report of a study conducted to determine the effect of an educational intervention on dietary and fluid compliance in patients having haemodialysis.

Many of the clinical problems experienced by patients having haemodialysis are related to their failure to eat appropriate foods and restrict their fluid intake. Educational intervention in patients having haemodialysis to improve their compliance with dietary and fluid restrictions appears to be effective.

Sixty-three patients having haemodialysis in three general hospitals in Tehran, Iran, were allocated into two groups at random for oral and/or video education. They were asked to give demographic and medical data. Bimonthly average values of serum potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphate, albumin, creatinine, uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen and interdialytic weight gain were measured before and after the teaching programmes. The data were collected in 2007.

Compliance in terms of biochemical parameters and interdialytic weight gain was observed in 63.5% and 76.2% of patients in the oral and video teaching groups respectively. Statistically significant correlations were observed between demographic variables (age, educational level and occupation) and dietary and fluid compliances (P < 0.001). There was no difference between the effectiveness of two educational interventions.

Nurses should emphasize sodium compliance in patients having haemodialysis and explain its adverse effects, such as excessive weight gain, hypertension, and peripheral oedema.