The depression status of SHPT patients
Previous studies have shown that Cinacalet can inhibit PTH in a short time[16],but most patients can not afford it because of its high price.Meanwhile,previous studies in our department have shown that patients taking Cinacalcet for more than 5 years can not continue to suppress PTH,but PTX can better suppress PTH,improve symptoms and quality of life.With the transformation of medical models into biological/psychological/social models, the phenomenon of bodily disease accompanied by anxiety and depression has attracted wide attention in the field of medical psychology. The main symptoms of patients with SHPT undergoing PTX are depression, memory loss, insomnia, nightmares, etc[17]. However, there are few investigations on QOL and depression psychology at home and abroad. In this study, patients had a high level of depression, with an incidence of 77.81%. The average SDS score was 46.04±8.98, which was higher than the norm[18]. This result indicated that the mental health level of patients with SHPT undergoing PTX was low, which suggested that more attention should be paid to patients with SHPT undergoing PTX in China. The generation of depressive symptoms includes many factors, such as pain, pruritus, occupation, education, income, and insurance[19], but in the early stage of depression, relieving discomfort over time and giving timely social or emotional support can largely avoid the occurrence of depression[20]. The SDS score of male patients in this study was higher than that of female patients; however, this is different from Liu’s findings[21], which may be related to the fact that men are under more economic pressure and most patients are unable to work due to hemodialysis. There were significant differences in SDS scores among patients with different occupations, education, incomes, and insurance, which may be because the patients with high education and a good job generally enjoy higher medical insurance reimbursement and take Cinacalet, lanthanum carbonate and other drugs to alleviate SHPT[22].
The status of SHPT patients’ QOL, bone pain, and skin pruritus
The vast majority of patients with SHPT undergoing PTX have skin pruritus,bone pain,electrolyte disorder,coupled with long-term dialysis leading to the destruction of various systems of body,which complicates the screening,such as sleep disturbances,fatigue,loss of energy and poor appetite.However,no related surveys on QOL, bone pain, or skin pruritus in patients with SHPT have been reviewed at home or abroad. In this study, the average QOL score was 41.76±8.15, which was lower than the norm[23], and the average score for bone pain was 5.08±2.65, which was higher than the norm[24]. This was consistent with Galvez-Sanchez’s[25] and Rehman’s[26] findings. In this study, skin pruritus had a greater impact on the patient’s body than bone pain. PTX can improve the symptoms of bone pain caused by bone deficiency and hypocalcemia.
The mediating effect of QOL
The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that QOL, bone pain, skin pruritus and depression were significantly correlated with each other and that bone pain and skin pruritus positively predicted the level of depression. This was consistent with the results obtained by Brophy et al[27]. and laid the foundation for the subsequent analysis of mediating effects. Notably, regression analysis revealed that there was a partial mediating effect between bone pain, skin pruritus and depression, which provided a basis for the verification of mediating effects. At the same time, some studies also showed that patients with low QOL have a significantly higher risk of depression, and QOL is an important predictor of depression in patients with SHPT undergoing PTX, which is basically consistent with the results of this study.
The bootstrap method was used to further verify the mediation effect. The results showed that a mediating effect of QOL between bone pain, skin pruritus and depression was established, and the mediating effect was 48.62%/45.08%. BI also confirmed that QOL played a role in mediating depression[28]. In clinical work, we should encourage patients with SHPT undergoing PTX to improve symptoms causing discomfort through PTX in a timely manner, which can greatly reduce depression and improve QOL.
Medical staff should guide family members to actively participate in all aspects of patients’ life and treatment,timely grasp the psychological function of patients,and strengthen the care for patients.Encouraging patients to participate in more social activities can buffer the negative effects of various pressures on body and mind,improve sleep quality,reduce depression and other psychological disorders.Therefore,we set up a wechat group for patients with SHPT undergoing PTX to answer the medical problems after discharge online,such as adjusting blood calcium,regular follow-up within the group.The department should carry out the corresponding mental health survey regularly and give timely intervention to the patients with severe pain,pruritus,sleep disorder and depression tendency,and take positive and effective measures to improve mental health level in time.