Awareness and knowledge of erythopoiesis stimulating agents among chronic haemodialysis patients at a tertiary hospital in south west Nigeria

Introduction: Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents contribute significantly to reduction in mortality among chronic kidney disease patients. Paucity of studies exist on haemodialysis patients’ knowledge of Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents. We set out to assess awareness and knowledge of Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents among haemodialysis patients.
Methodology: This was a questionnaire-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted between November 2017 and March 2018.
Results: There were 38 (60.3%) males and 25 (39.7%) females with a mean age of 50.3 (± 15.4) years. Twenty six (41.3%) were aware of Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents. Twenty four (92.3%) and 2 (7.7%) participants became aware of Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents through doctors and nurses respectively. None was presented with educational materials on Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents. Twenty four (92.3%) knew that erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents are injections and 15 (57.7%) knew that their main function is blood formation. Eight (30.8%) knew the correct target haemoglobin concentration for patients on erythropoietin. Only 1 (3.8%) and 2 (7.7%) participants could identify hypertension and headache as side effects of erythropoietin. Higher level of educational qualification (p=0.003) was significantly associated to awareness of Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents.
Conclusion: Awareness and knowledge of Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents among haemodialysis patients was poor. Educational qualification was positively associated to awareness. Counselling method was substandard.