DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2023.v11i09.029

Pages: 1766-1771

Background: Muscle cramps occurring during dialysis sessions can lead to discomfort, dialysis sessions being stopped early, and dialysis sessions being less effective. Measuring the baseline severity can help with the appropriate planning of coping mechanisms. Objective: To measure the severity of muscle cramps before any coping techniques involving leg exercises and any demographic associations with this in dialysis patients in Solapur, Maharashtra. Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of purposively selected patients on maintenance dialysis. The sample consisted of 60 patients who completed a demographic form and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Descriptive statistics were used, and the Chi-square test was used to test statistical significance. Results: The most common level of severity reported was Moderate (46.7%), with Severe (30%) as the next highest. The age and length of time on dialysis were the only significant associations with severity, while there was no association with gender. Conclusion: Muscle cramps are a common occurrence in hemodialysis, and in the majority of cases, their severity is Moderate to Severe. This is why baseline assessments of the severity of muscle cramps are important to help plan for the leg exercises as well as to individualize care for the patient.