title: The Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) on Fatigue in Haemodialysis Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fatigue is one of the most common symptom in End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients receiving haemodialysis treatment. In recent years, researchers investigated the role of alternative medicine methods such as acupuncture in treatment of the chronic disease; however, there is a paucity of information regarding the fatigue of haemodialysis patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of Trans Cutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) on fatigue among ESRD patients receiving haemodialysis treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized clinical trial was conducted over a five month, in Kermanshah-Iran haemodialysis centers in 2009. Fifty six patients who had undergone haemodialysis and meeting the inclusion criteria, were divided into two groups by simple random sampling; TEAS (28 cases) and TEAS-Sham group (28 cases). The data was gathered through the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), entered into SPSS-16 software and analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 56, 38 patients (67.9%) were male and 45 (80.4%) were married. The mean and standard deviation of age were 52.29±15.26 years. The inferential tests showed no differences in the clinical and the demographic characteristics of patients among two groups (p > 0.05). The mean rank of fatigue score in TEAS and TEAS-Sham groups was 30.68 and 26.32 respectively (p=0.317) at the first of study. The results of the Mann-Whitney U-test indicated that there were significant differences between the TEAS and Sham groups after intervention (p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings of the present study revealed that application of the TEAS on these acupoints had produced a better recovery rate of fatigue in TEAS group than Sham group after a course of ten session intervention. So, it is suggested that this plan be provided to the haemodialysis patients.
authors: Nursing Mentor, Deparment of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah, Iran .
authors: Fatemeh
authors: F
authors: Hadadian
authors: Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah, Iran .
authors: Nasrollah
authors: N
authors: Sohrabi
authors: Student, Department of Pharmacy School, International Branch of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran .
authors: Mandana
authors: M
authors: Farokhpayam
authors: Student, Department of Pharmacy School, International Branch of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran .
authors: Hoda
authors: H
authors: Farokhpayam
authors: Phd Student, Medical Surgical Nursing, Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah, Iran .
authors: Farhad
authors: F
authors: Towhidi
authors: Nursing Mentor, Chronic Disease Care Research Center, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences , Ahvaz, Iran .
authors: Sadighe
authors: S
authors: Fayazi
authors: Assistant Professor, Lifestyle Modification Research Centre, Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah, Iran .
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Soroush
authors: Phd of Nursing, Department of Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran .
authors: Alireza
authors: A
authors: Abdi
keywords: Acupuncture; Chronic disease; End-stage renal disease