Pleurisy in Hemodialysis Patients: Epidemiological and Etiological Aspects at Donka National Hemodialysis Center

Introduction: Pleural effusion being a frequent complication in hemodialysis patients, its etiologies are diverse and the diagnosis is easy, based on clinical and radiological proofs. The main objective of this study was to describe the epidemiological and etiological profiles of pleurisy in hemodialysis patients at the National Hemodialysis Center of Donka National Hospital. Patients and methods: it was a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study that extended over a period of three years from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019. It concerned, among hemodialysis patients in the center during the study period, all those who had a confirmed pleurisy on chest x-ray. The variables were epidemiological (based on frequency, sex and age), clinical (based on history of the disease, physical examination looking for a reduction or elimination of vesicular murmur) and paraclinical (mainly radiological). Results: Among 286 patients undergoing hemodialysis in our center, pleural effusion was diagnosed in 35 or 12.24%. The average age of our patients was 52.22 years with ranges of 18 and 78 years. The sex ratio M/F was 2.5. Bilateral pleurisy was found in 51.43% of patients; unilateral right in 40% of cases and unilateral left in 8.57%. We observed 68.57% citrus yellow fluid and 31.43% sero haematic fluid. The bacteriology of the pleural fluid was positive in 62.86% against 37.14% negative. Tumor, tuberculosis and non-specific bacterial etiologies have been encountered. Conclusion: Pleurisy is therefore a frequent complication in hemodialysis patients at Donka National Hemodialysis Center. Etiological research is a major step for better management of these patients. Improving the technical platform of the laboratories should be an important contribution to this stage.