Abstract
Background
Management of blood flow in arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is a critical clinical issue for hemodialysis (HD) patients.
Objectives
To determine the effect of microcirculation of AVF in HD patients with photobiomodulation (PBM).
Methods
Twenty HD patients were enrolled in this study. PBM was used to radiate the palm of HD patients at a total dose of 126 J, and the microcirculatory analysis in AVF was investigated.
Results
Among the patients <65 years old, there is an increase of 2.31% and 1.37% in the average velocity and flux in AVF, respectively. This increase is higher than those observed in patients aged >65 years old. Additionally, the cumulative effect of the 830 nm laser was observed for at least 10 min, resulting in continuous increases of 3.16% in velocity and 1.59% in flux for HD patients <65 years old. On the contrary, the average velocity and flux in AVF increased in patients who had undergone HD for <6 years.
Conclusions
In this study, the age and the duration of HD treatment are the two factors that influence microcirculation in HD patients with PBM. The results suggest that PBM could be used to improve the average velocity and flux in AVF, particularly for younger patients with shorter HD treatment durations.