Purpose: Despite the high prevalence of postdialysis fatigue (PDF) in maintenance hemodialysis patients,
no meta-analysis on the prevalence and risk factors of PDF has yet been published. This study aimed to
identify the prevalence of PDF and explore its related factors.
Methods: PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health
Literature (CINAHL), and the four Chinese databases (National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], Chinese
Biomedical Literature database [SinoMed], Wanfang Digital Periodicals [WANFANG], and Chinese Science
and Technology Periodicals [VIP] database) were searched from inception up to July 2022. This study was
performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis
guidelines. The articles were independently searched by two reviewers, and the relevant data were
extracted. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was used to assess the quality of the included
studies.
Results: Thirteen articles with 2,118 participants were included. The pooled prevalence was 60.0%. The
meta-analysis results revealed that the ultrafiltration volume, mean arterial pressure after dialysis, and
good sleep quality were potentially associated with PDF, whereas only good sleep quality (odds ratio
0.24, 95% confidence interval 0.19e0.30) was significantly associated with PDF.
Conclusion: PDF is common in maintenance hemodialysis patients, which is related to the ultrafiltration
volume, sleep quality, and mean arterial pressure after dialysis. However, the mechanism underlying the
risk factors and PDF remains unknown. Further research is warranted to investigate the risk factors,
intervention, treatment, and mechanism in maintenance hemodialysis patients.