Effect of The Arterial Needle Bevel Orientation Puncture Pain and Post-Removal Bleeding Time Among Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis.

Background: The vascular access for hemodialysis is considered a patient's lifeline. Pain andbleeding are common problems facing patients with vascular access. So, nurses bear a large deal ofresponsibility for selection of cannulation technique whether bevel up or down, to achieve less painfultechnique and less bleeding. Aim of the Study: Evaluate the effect of arterial needle bevel orientation onpuncture pain and the post-removal bleeding time among patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Design:A quasi-experimental research design was utilized for this study. Setting: Hemodialysis unit at Al-MoasatAlexandria university hospital Subjects: A sample of 50 patients (25 patients in each study group (group 1/ group 2) who met the inclusion criteria was involved in the study. Results: There was no statisticallysignificant difference between the two groups regarding level of pain (P value = 0.169), however bleedingtime was lower in patients had their arterial needle inserted in bevel down orientation (P value <0.05).Conclusion: Insertion of arterial needle for arteriovenous fistula in bevel down was found to be effectivein reducing bleeding time and the need for manual compression, but there were no statistically significantdifferences in level of pain with bevel up and bevel down orientation. Recommendations: Replication ofthe study on larger probability sample.