Effects of magnetic field therapy (AT-04) on pain reduction during arteriovenous fistula puncture in hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND

Pain from arteriovenous fistula puncture significantly affects the quality of life of patients undergoing hemodialysis. AT-04 was designed to alleviate this pain using magnetic stimulation, which is anticipated to be beneficial for managing pain across different conditions. However, limited research exists on the effectiveness of AT-04 in diminishing the pain related to arteriovenous fistula puncture in hemodialysis patients.

METHODS

Between July and August 2024, we enrolled 14 outpatient maintenance hemodialysis patients at Tokyu Hospital who had given informed consent. AT-04 was administered before arteriovenous fistula puncture. We assessed the pain intensity of the puncture using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before the application of AT-04, as well as at one and four weeks afterward. We observed changes in puncture pain levels before and after the AT-04 application.

RESULTS

The participants had an average age of 80 years (IQR, 74-85) and a mean dialysis duration of 5.8 years (IQR, 1.0-8.9). Lidocaine tape was utilized by 71.4% of participants, painkillers by 7.1%, and 28.6% used sleeping pills, with none taking antidepressants. The median VAS score before starting AT-04 was 40.5 (IQR, 23.5-55.5). One week after starting AT-04, the median VAS score dropped to 27.0 (IQR, 4.5-32.8), and four weeks later, it further decreased to 16.5 (IQR, 5.0-38.8). These decreases were statistically significant compared to the pre-treatment VAS score (one week after p = 0.0057, four weeks after p = 0.0076).

CONCLUSION

The AT-04 device, which uses alternating magnetic field therapy, significantly alleviated pain from arteriovenous fistula puncture in hemodialysis patients.