Evaluation of the pain scale during arteriovenous fistula puncture with and without lidocaine gel 2% in patients undergoing haemodialysis in Kosovo

AIM: this study aims to evaluate the pain scale during Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) puncture in patients undergoing regular haemodialysis sessions with and without Lidocaine gel 2%. METHODS: The study is Cross-Sectional, conducted at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo - Clinic of Nephrology and Haemodialysis in Pristina, Regional Haemodialysis Centre in Prizren, Regional Haemodialysis Centre in Gjilan and Regional Haemodialysis Centre in Mitrovica, all in Kosovo. In this research, 616 patients were surveyed during AVF puncture and the other group of 232 patients in whom 2% Lidocaine gel was applied before puncture at the fistula puncture site. RESULTS: In the above mentioned centres, the total number of patients who are on dialysis through AVF is 632, of which 324 men and 308 women. 560 patients had created AVF on the left arm and 72 patients on the right arm. In our research, 616 patients were surveyed, of which 312 men and 304 women. The most affected age group was between 60 and 69. The pain scale reported during AVF punctuation was moderate in 304 (49%) patients, severe in 176 patients (29%) and mild in 136 (22%) patients. After the applying of Lidocaine gel 2%, the puncture of AVF was performed, so from the total number of 232 participants, 64 (28%) of them reported moderate pain and 168 (72%) of research participants reported mild pain during puncture of AVF. In order to compare results from both groups, we have chosen a random sample from the first group during AVF punctuation without Lidocaine gel 2% (234 in total from 616 patients) and compared the result with the second group during AVF puncture with Lidocaine gel 2% (232 in total). CONCLUSIONS: The average pain scale during AVF puncture without Lidocaine gel 2% was 5.04 while the average pain scale after applied Lidocaine gel 2% was 2.61.