Driving Safety Among Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease on Hemodialysis

Author(s): Fayez AlHejaili, Muhammad N. Hashmi, Abdulkareem Alsuwaida, Ghada A. Ankawi, Anas A. Alsuwaida, Mohammed T. AlZahrani, Ali E. Shehadah, Riyadh Al-Sehli

Background: Human error is the main cause of car accidents, but it has not yet been clarified whether cognitive impairment related to dialysis sessions and/or comorbid medical conditions increases the risk of car accidents. Our objective was to explore dialysis patients’ perceptions of driving and the prevalence and predictors of car accidents among dialysis patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted at eight dialysis units in Saudi Arabia. The study included all adult patients on in-center hemodialysis for more than three months.

Results: Data were collected from 711 adults enrolled in the study. Among the participants, 55.1% were diabetic, 86.9% had hypertension, and 24.8% had coronary artery disease. Among the participants who continued to drive, 137 had been involved in road traffic accidents. Many patients complained of post-dialysis fatigue (54.6%), which was associated with a higher risk of car accidents. Similarly, history of diabetes were also associated with more car accidents.

Conclusion: Many of the participants had stopped driving after starting dialysis or felt that continuing driving was unsafe. Health-care providers and institutions need to engage in patient transportation as part of holistic care delivery to dialysis patients.