Abstract:Objective To analyze the factors influencing the symptom burden in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 96 ESRD patients treated at our hospital from October 2021 to October 2023. Based on the median score of the Dialysis Symptom Burden Index (DFSSBI), patients were divided into two groups: a high-score group and a low-score group, with 48 patients in each. Data collected included gender, age, educational level, employment status, marital status, primary disease, and dialysis frequency. The nutritional status (albumin, hemoglobin), and renal function [blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr)] of both groups were compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors influencing high symptom burden in ESRD MHD patients, and a calibration curve was used to assess the fit of the predictive model.Results The group with higher scores had an older age than the group with lower scores. Compared to the lower score group, a higher proportion of patients in the high score group had a monthly household income below 2000 yuan, longer disease duration, self-pay, and underwent dialysis three times a week (P < 0.05). Patients in the high score group also had lower levels of albumin and hemoglobin, but higher levels of BUN, and Scr than those in the low score group (P < 0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that older age [O^R =1.384 (95% CI: 1.139, 1.681)], higher dialysis frequency [O^R =68.743 (95% CI: 4.761, 992.474)], lower albumin levels [O^R =0.673 (95% CI: 0.484, 0.935) ], lower hemoglobin levels [O^R =0.820 (95% CI: 0.707, 0.951)], and higher BUN levels [O^R =1.676 (95% CI: 1.129, 2.489), higher Scr levels[O^R =1.111 (95% CI: 1.034, 1.194)] were risk factors for symptom burden in ESRD patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (P < 0.05). The calibration curve had an average absolute error of 0.056, indicating high predictive accuracy and low prediction error; the ROC curve showed a predictive accuracy of 0.989 (95% CI:0.974, 1.000), with a sensitivity of 93.8% (95% CI: 0.828, 0.987), and a specificity of 97.9% (95% CI: 0.889, 0.999).Conclusion Age, dialysis frequency, nutritional status, and renal function are significant factors affecting the symptom burden in patients with ESRD undergoing MHD.