Pain Interference in Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Study Using the Pain Effects Scale (PES)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Pain is a common and clinically important symptom in hemodialysis, yet its functional impact and determinants remain insufficiently characterized. This study examined factors associated with pain interference using the Pain Effects Scale (PES) in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 73 adults receiving thrice-weekly hemodialysis completed the PES, assessing the four-week impact of pain on mood, sleep, mobility, work, recreation, and enjoyment of life. Demographic, clinical, and dialysis-related variables—including vascular access type, dialysis vintage, session duration, ultrafiltration volume, predialysis urea, Kt/V, urea reduction ratio, comorbidities, and transplant history—were extracted from medical records. Associations were evaluated using parametric and non-parametric tests. Results: PES scores indicated substantial pain interference. Older age was positively correlated with higher PES scores (r = 0.32, p = 0.006), and patients with ischemic heart disease had significantly higher PES values than those without (23.1 ± 6.7 vs. 17.3 ± 6.2; p = 0.012). Willingness to pursue transplantation showed a non-significant trend toward lower scores. Conclusions: Pain interference in hemodialysis appears largely independent of routine adequacy metrics and most comorbidities, with ischemic cardiovascular disease emerging as an exception. Findings underscore the need for a biopsychosocial approach integrating pain screening with assessment of mood, sleep, neuropathy, musculoskeletal factors, and ischemic symptoms.
Source: Journal of Clinical Medicine
DOI: 10.3390/jcm15031184
Institutions: Jan Długosz University, Jagiellonian University
Language: English
Subfield: Nephrology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7127312478