FREQUENCY OF NEUROLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS IN END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE PATIENTS

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of neurological complications in patients presented with end-stage renal disease. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Nephrology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, from December 2025 to March 2026. Methodology: A total of 144 end-stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis were selected consecutively from inpatients and outpatients. Each patient's demographic information and medical history were obtained, followed by an evaluation of present signs and symptoms. All patients were clinically evaluated for neurological complications, and diagnoses were confirmed via computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nerve conduction studies where necessary. Analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 25. Results: There were 52 female patients (36.1%) and 92 male patients (63.9%), with a median age of 46.0 (42.0 60.0) years. Neurological complications were diagnosed in 42.4% (n=61) of ESRD patients. The most common neurological complications were intradialytic hypotension (18.0%, n=11), cerebrovascular accident (16.4%, n=10), encephalopathy (14.8%, n=9), dialysis dementia (13.1%, n=8), neuropathy (13.1%, n=8), dialysis disequilibrium syndrome (9.8%, n=6), reversible leukoencephalopathy (4.9%, n=3), central pontine myelinolysis (4.9%, n=3), autonomic dysfunction (3.3%, n=2), and myopathy (1.6%, n=1). Conclusion: Neurological complications are common in ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis. The most common neurological complications were intradialytic hypotension, cerebrovascular accident, and encephalopathy.