<b>May physical therapy influence the quality of life of individuals in hemodialysis?</b> - doi: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v10i3.17382

Abstract

The chronic renal failure overall incidence is increasing every day. In Brazil, approximately 54.5 thousand people are on dialysis. Chronic kidney disease is a syndromic, progressive and irreversible renal function disease which results invariably in dialysis. Despite technological advances and benefits in increasing survival, hemodialysis causes complications and functional changes, affecting the quality of life of these subjects. This study aimed to evaluate and compare to controls the quality of life of patients submitted to physical therapy. We selected 60 chronic renal failure patients of both genders. The quality of life questionnaire Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form was applied to two groups: a control without physical therapy, and others who were submitted to a physical therapy treatment. The results showed impairment related to age, hemodialysis lengths and gender, in most of the dimensions analyzed in both groups. But when compared between groups, patients undergoing a physical therapy showed better quality of life indices. In conclusion the physical therapy contributes to a trend of improving the overall quality of life of patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis.