The Effect of Auricular Acupressure on Pruritus, Xerostomia, and Fatigue in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Clinical Trial in Southeastern Iran.

Abstract

Background: Itching, dry mouth, and fatigue as common problems in hemodialysis patients affect their quality of life. Auricular acupressure is a traditional Chinese medicine method that elicits reactions such as heat, numbness, expansion, pain, and other forms of stimulation to achieve therapeutic effects. This study aimed to assess the impact of auricular acupressure on alleviating pruritus, xerostomia, and fatigue in patients undergoing hemodialysis in southeastern Iran.

Method: This clinical trial study was conducted in Shafa, Samen al-Hojaj, and Javad Al-Aemeh Hospitals. The sample size consisted of 90 individuals who were randomly assigned to either the control or intervention group using a two-stage randomization method (first separated by odd/even dialysis days to prevent contamination, then clusters randomly allocated to groups). The intervention group received auricular acupressure treatment for a duration of 4 weeks, while the control group received routine care. Both groups completed clinical questionnaires, including the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Summated Xerostomia Inventory (SXI), and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), before and after the intervention. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS26, employing both parametric and nonparametric tests, with a significance level set at 0.05.

Results: The study findings indicated that auricular acupressure had a significant impact on the patients in the intervention group. The pruritus score decreased from 6.11 ± 2.32 to 3.18 ± 2.74, a reduction of 2.93 points (p < 0.001). The xerostomia score decreased from 19.64 ± 3.46 to 15.62 ± 5.29, a decrease of 4.02 points (p < 0.001). Additionally, the fatigue score decreased from 51.73 ± 8.53 to 43.16 ± 11.00, a reduction of 8.57 points (p < 0.001). On the other hand, the control group had no significant differences in the scores of uremic pruritus (p = 0.47), xerostomia (p = 0.82), and fatigue (p = 0.98) before and after the intervention.

Conclusion: The results of the study demonstrated the impact of auricular acupressure on alleviating pruritus, xerostomia, and fatigue. This complementary medicine technique can be considered as a cost-effective, safe, acceptable, and noninvasive nursing care option for patients undergoing hemodialysis. Nurses can incorporate auricular acupressure into their practice to provide holistic care for patients undergoing hemodialysis. Trial Registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: IRCT20151107024919N14.