title: Study on the clinical significance and related factors of thirst and xerostomia in maintenance hemodialysis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the clinical significance and related factors of thirst and xerostomia and to find methods to alleviate thirst and xerostomia in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two MHD patients were included for observational study and eleven patients were enrolled for crossover trial. Thirst was assessed by 100-mm visual analog scales (VAS) and dialysis thirst inventory (DTI). Meanwhile, xerostomia was assessed by VAS and xerostomia inventory (XI). Depression, kidney disease quality of life (KDQOL), salivary flow rates and inter dialytic weight gain (IDWG) were measured. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlations between continuous variables. The results of crossover trial were investigated by two-sample T-tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Strong positive correlations among DTI, VAS thirst score, XI and VAS xerostomia score were found (P=0.000). Daily IDWG was positively correlated with VAS thirst score (r=0.315, P=0.042) and DTI(r=0.391, P=0.010). UWS (unstimulated whole saliva) was negatively correlated with VAS xerostomia score (r=-0.308, P=0.048). Residual urine output was negatively correlated with DTI (r=-0.402, P=0.008), VAS xerostomia score (r=-0.461, P=0.002) and XI (r=-0.403, P=0.008). In the crossover trial, DTI, XI, IDWG2d, IDWG3d, VAS thirst and xerostomia score were significantly reduced by the use of chewing gum (P=0.000, 0.001, 0.009, 0.017, 0.038, 0.001). The VAS thirst score, DTI and IDWG3d were significantly reduced by receiveing straw (P=0.016, 0.003, 0.049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thirst and xerostomia might affect the quality of life in MHD patients. Both chewing gum and straw could decrease thirst and IDWG.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, the Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li-Hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Jian-Ying
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D013894:Thirst / Q000502:physiology*; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology