The Effect of Orem's Self-care Education on Interdialytic Weight and Blood Pressure Changes in Hemodialysis Patients

Chronic renal disease is known as progressive and irreversible loss of renal function. These diseases cover a wide range from proteinuria to increase in serum creatinine which is a clear sign of weak glomerular filtration rate and complete failure of kidney in final stages of kidney disease. Sodium retention in kidney patients accumulate liquids in their body, followed by the overweight and hypertension. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Orem's self-care education on overweight between two dialysis sessions and blood pressure in patients suffering chronic kidney failure under treatment in Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital at Urmia. The present study is a quasi-experimental one conducted in a group with pretest and posttest in the hemodialysis ward of Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital of Urmia. 50 patients suffering chronic kidney failure were selected according to the purpose of the study and characteristics of the units under study. The data for the study were collected through interviews and the questionnaire for identifying needs, demographic information and the checklist. In the pretest, the patients were asked to fill out the questionnaire for needs, demographic information and checklist and their average overweight between two dialysis sessions were recorded along with their blood pressure. Then, an educational plan was commenced based on problems identified and Orem's self-care theory and was taught to the patients in three thirty-minute sessions in five groups of ten subjects. Supplementary resources like videos, booklets etc. were also utilized. Two months later, average overweight and blood pressure for two months after training were measured. The data collected were analyzed through SPSS (version 18) computer application and coupled T test. The study revealed that the patients overweight decreased significantly between two dialysis sessions (P<0.001). However, no meaningful difference was observed between the systolic blood pressure (p=0.233) and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.196) before and after of educational program (P>0.05). Conducting self-care teaching programs on patients under hemodialysis treatment could reduce their problems especially in case of overweight between two hemodialysis sessions. Therefore, the use of this model in hemodialysis patients is recommended.