The Role of Nephrology Nurses in Symptom Management: Reflections on the KDIGO Controversies Conference on Symptom-Based Complications in Dialysis Care

Nam Ng, Marques Shek; Brown, Edwina A.; Cheung, Michael; Figueiredo, Ana Elizabeth; Hurst, Helen; King, Jennifer M.; Mehrotra, Rajnish; Pryor, Lillian; Walker, Rachael C.; Wasylynuk, Betty Ann; Bennett, Paul N.

Abstract

People with kidney failure undergoing dialysis frequently report distressful symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, and pruritus. These symptoms have negative impacts on quality of life and other clinical outcomes, including health care utilization and mortality risk. Despite these tremendous impacts, symptom assessment and management can be challenging in clinical settings.1 In May 2022, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) held a Controversies Conference entitled Symptom-Based Complications in Dialysis to address the need for developing and testing solutions for assessing and managing symptoms associated with maintenance dialysis. The more than 60 participants included patients, physicians, behavioral therapists, nurses, pharmacists, and clinical researchers.
The KDIGO symptoms meeting addressed the following 4 themes: (i) strategies to incorporate symptom assessment into routine care; (ii) reducing burden of physical symptoms; (iii) optimizing management of psychological symptoms; and (iv) system-level opportunities to optimize symptom management. During the meeting discussions, the participants outlined foundational principles and consensus points related to identifying and addressing dialysis symptom-based complications and described gaps in the knowledge base and priorities for research.2 The consensus points of the meeting (Table 1) reflect a dedication of kidney health professionals (physicians, nurses, allied health) to promote a multidisciplinary and individualized approach to symptom assessment and management that can be incorporated in routine clinical practice.

Citation

Nam Ng, M. S., Brown, E. A., Cheung, M., Figueiredo, A. E., Hurst, H., King, J. M., …Bennett, P. N. (2023). The Role of Nephrology Nurses in Symptom Management: Reflections on the KDIGO Controversies Conference on Symptom-Based Complications in Dialysis Care. Kidney International Reports, 8(10), 1903-1906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ekir.2023.08.025

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 21, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Aug 24, 2023
• Publication Date: Aug 24, 2023
• Deposit Date: Sep 13, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 7, 2023
• Journal: Kidney International Reports
• Print ISSN: 2468-0249
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 10
• Pages: 1903-1906
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ekir.2023.08.025