Protective Effect of Far Infrared Therapy Using HITH-4 Type Apparatus and External Use of Hirudoid for Autogenous Arteriovenous Fistula in Diabetic Dialysis Patients

Background The maintenance of autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is crucial to diabetics with hemodialysis. Far infrared therapy (FIR) can significantly improve the condition of AVF in these patients. But the protective effectiveness of FIR using HITH-4 type apparatus combined with external use of Hirudoid for AVF in diabetic patients is less reported. Objective To explore the protective effect of FIR using HITH-4 type apparatus and external use of Hirudoid for AVF in diabetic hemodialysis patients. Methods Sixty diabetic patients with hemodialysis were selected from 2020-01-01 to 2020-06-01 in the Department of Nephrology, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University using an AVF, and equally, randomly divided into a control group and an intervention group. The control group received local application of Hirudoid Cream, and the intervention group received FIR using HITH-4 type apparatus for irradiating the limb of the arteriovenous fistula side and local application of Hirudoid Cream. The puncture point healing time, disappearance time of the puncture site scab, dialysis blood flow, arterial pressure, brachial artery blood flow and complications of AVF were compared between the two groups after a six-month intervention. Results Two groups had no significant differences in demographics (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the puncture point healing time and disappearance time of the puncture site scab in the intervention group were significantly shorter (P