Background: Muscle cramps and impaired peripheral perfusion are the most common
complications experienced by children undergoing hemodialysis. Intradialytic exercises are the
best measures to reduce muscle cramps which occurring during hemodialysis to increase the
cardiac output, enhancing perfusion and facilitating oxygen demand of the skeletal muscles. Aim
of the study was to evaluate the effect of intradialytic exercises program for nurses on peripheral
muscle cramps and peripheral perfusion among children undergoing hemodialysis. Setting: The
study was conducted at Children Renal Dialysis Unit at Benha University Hospital. Design: A
quasi-experimental design was used to conduct the study. Subjects: Sample (I) A convenient
sample of (30) nurses was selected from the previously mentioned setting, Sample (2) A
purposive sample of 36 children undergoing hemodialysis. Tools of data collection: Five tools
were used; Tool I: Nurses characteristics and children bio-sociodemographic data included three
parts: (1) The studied nurses’ characteristics, (2) Studied children characteristics (3) Clinical data
of children undergoing hemodialysis, Tool II: Knowledge assessment questionnaire, Tool III:
Intradialytic exercises checklist, Tool IV: Muscle cramp questionnaire chart Tool V:
Assessment checklist for clinical features of impaired peripheral perfusion. Results: There is a
highly statistical significant difference between frequency and duration of muscle cramps, level
of pain, leg temperature and discomfort pre and post- intradialytic exercises program
implementation. There was high statistical significant difference between clinical features of
impaired peripheral perfusion pre and post-intradialytic exercises program. Conclusion: The
majority of the studied nurses had good level of knowledge and satisfactory level of practices
post-intradialytic exercises program implementation compared to pre-intradialytic exercises
program implementation Recommendations: Organizing continuous training programs for nurses
to reinforce intradialytic exercises for hemodialysis children. Structured training program can be
provided to children undergoing hemodialysis on active intradialytic exercises.
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