ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effective therapy for maintenance hemodialysis patients in dificiency syndrome in end-stage renal disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety-seven cases were divided into an observation group (51 cases) and a control group (46 cases) randomly, and routine western medicine was used in both of them. On this base, moxibustion was used in Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) in paper-tube-moxibustion equipment in the observation group. Evaluate the therapeutic effect on symptoms by comparing the symptom scores in two groups before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the symptom scores in the observation group were improved after treatment, and the differences were significant (all P < 0.05). Among all symptoms, the most improved ones included lassitude and fatigue, short breath and aversion to talk, poor appetite, soreness and softness of waist and knees, aversion to cold, cold extremities and so on. In the aspect of therapeutic effect on symptoms, the total effective rate in observation group (64.7%, 33/51) was higher than that in control group (23.9%, 11/46), and the difference was significant (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Moxibustion can improve the clinical symptoms of maintenance hemodialysis patients in end-stage renal disease, and can generate some therapeutic effect to the dificiency syndrome of this disease.</p>