ABSTRACT
Introduction: When severe kidney failure happens and kidneys do not work properly, alternative treatments such as transplantation and dialysis, including hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis can be done. This study is to help physicians and patients in choosing an appropriate therapeutic method in terms of the impact on quality of life comparing different dimensions of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients' quality of life
Method: In this cross-sectional descriptive analytical study, 143 patients with hem dialysis and peritoneal dialysis have been studied in a hospital in Kerman at the second six months of 2011. In order to survey the patients' quality of life and comparing it from various dimensions, the EQ5D quality of life questionnaire was used. Data analysis was done by SPSS software version 19, and also using descriptive statistics such as frequency tables, mean, and standard deviation statistics, chi-square and Mann-Whitney analysis
Results: The average scores for quality of life in patients with hem dialysis and peritoneal dialysis were 0.61 vs. 0.69, respectively and the difference was meaningful. The highest average score in the hemodialysis patients quality of life was related to depression and anxiety [0.95] and in peritoneal dialysis patients was related to personal care [0.96]. In this study, there were not any statistically significant relationships between any of the studied variables and the quality of life except age variable in two groups of patients
Conclusion: This study revealed that peritoneal dialysis patients had higher quality of life particularly in the personal care and pain and had better life quality compared to hemodialysis patients