Impact of Using Natural Herbal Materials for Acupoint Application Combined with an Evidence-Based Supervision Method on Improving Renal Function and Lifestyle Treatment in Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract

Natural herbal materials are commonly derived from plants, minerals, and animals, and compared to synthetic drugs, are closer to natural resources. Here, we analyzed the impact of using evidence-based supervision in combination with natural herbal materials for acupoint application on renal function and lifestyle treatment in hemodialysis patients, with the aim to provide evidence for clinical practice. We selected 80 patients who underwent hemodialysis treatment in our hospital between September 2021 and December 2022 as the research subjects. All of the research subjects were randomly divided into observation and control groups, with 40 cases in each group. The control group received conventional nursing interventions, while the observation group received interventions using acupuncture point application of natural Traditional Chinese medicine herbal materials combined with evidence-based supervision. The main endpoints were to compare the nursing intervention effects between the two groups, including patients’ renal function indicators and quality of life. The natural Chinese medicinal herb Atractylodes macrocephala contains eucalyptol-type sesquiterpene lactones, which exhibit various activities, especially in anti-inflammatory aspects, with a definite effect on the prevention and treatment of renal fibrosis in hemodialysis patients. Clinical studies have shown that the levels of serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, while the GQOLI-74 scores of the observation group were higher than those of the control group (all P >0.05). Natural Chinese medicines are natural biobased materials that are often described as compound drugs in practical clinical applications, containing multiple components that can work synergistically to produce comprehensive therapeutic effects. Among them, Atractylodes macrocephala has a definite effect on the prevention and treatment of renal fibrosis in hemodialysis patients. The use of natural Chinese medicinal materials in acupoint application combined with evidence-based supervisory methods has shown precise clinical effects in hemodialysis patients, not only by improving renal function but also significantly enhancing their quality of life.