The effect of reflexology applied to renal transplantation patients on fatigue

Fatigue is a common problem in renal transplant patients. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the effect of reflexology applied to renal transplantation patients on fatigue. The research was conducted in the Transplantation Clinic of a Foundation University Application and Research Hospital between 07.12.2020-18.06.2021 as a randomized, controlled and experimental study. Permission was obtained from the ethics committee, institution and patients before the study. The population of the study consisted of 254 patients who underwent renal transplantation in the transplantation unit, and the sample consisted of 68 patients. The patients included in the study were divided into intervention (n=34) and control (n=34) groups with the help of a program. Reflexology was applied to the intervention group, in the room prepared for reflexology, on both feet of the patients for 15 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes. The application was carried out twice a week for two months, with a total of 16 sessions for each patient. Data were collected with Questionnaire and Piper Fatigue Scale (PFA). The total score obtained from the PQS, which consists of four sub-dimensions, ranges from 0 to 10, and as the score increases, the level of fatigue also increases. The questionnaire and PYS were administered to both groups at the beginning of the study and at the end of the fourth and eighth weeks. Chi-square, Student t, Mann Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis, correlation, generalized estimation equation and Least Significant Difference tests were used to evaluate the data. The mean PFA total score of the patients in the intervention group, which was 4.37±1.98 before the application, decreased to 3.68±1.55 in the fourth week and 3.73±1.86 in the eighth week. It was determined that it increased to 4.32±1.58 in the eighth week, but the comparison between the groups was not significant. When the group, time and group/time interaction of reflexology is examined; it was determined that there was a significant change only in the affect sub-dimension mean score. Reflexology applied to patients undergoing renal transplantation is recommended to be used in the management of fatigue, since it reduces the severity of fatigue. Keywords: Nursing, Reflexology, Renal Transplantation, Fatigue.