CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES FOR THE USE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS AND HERBAL MEDICINES (PHYTOTHERAPICS) IN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

Abstract

Hemodialysis is an essential health technology for the management of several kidney diseases, but it can lead to important losses in the quality of life of patients. Phytotherapy and its specialty called aromatherapy can be effective in reducing complaints reported by hemodialysis patients, such as anxiety, fatigue, and pain. Thus, the objective of this article is to consider the evidence available in the scientific literature about the use of phytotherapy in the clinical management of patients on hemodialysis. An active literature search was performed using a high-sensitivity search strategy, based on descriptors related to the topic, in line with the PICO strategy. 12  studies were selected for full reading, which were related to the research problem. It was found that the main vegetable derivatives come from lavender and orange, used in preparations containing essential oils. These phytotherapeutic inputs were able to promote analgesic and anxiolytic action, as well as reduce asthenia reported by individuals under intervention. However, there were some serious flaws in the studies, referring to the absence of the specification of the scientific name of the species used and the phytochemical characterization of the natural products used, which may impair the reproducibility of these data for clinical practice.  Thus, despite the reduced costs, high patient acceptability, effectiveness and high tolerability, new studies are suggested to increase the robustness of phytotherapy and aromatherapy as complementary therapies in real clinical scenarios.