Arteriovenous fistula patency and self-care behaviors in hemodialysis patients

This study aimed to determine the factors affecting arteriovenous fistula (AVF) patency and the relationship between AVF self-care behaviors in hemodialysis (HD) patients. This was a descriptive and correlational study. The data were collected from 195 HD patients between August and December 2023. The mean score of the AVF Assessment Scale (AVF-AS) was significantly higher in diabetic patients and patients with the elbow AVF site. A significant positive correlation was found between the AVF-AS and the total number of AVF operations. AVF-AS was found to be lower in patients with very high levels of AVF self-care behaviors compared to high-level and moderate levels. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between the AVF-AS and the pump speed, Kt/V, URR, and AVF self-care behaviors. This study found that patient-related factors and self-care behaviors effectively maintain AVF patency.