Liver disease symptoms in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

INTRODUCTION: It seems that there is a relationship between small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of SIBO among NAFLD patients. METHODS: In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, 98 eligible NAFLD patients were evaluated for SIBO using hydrogen breath test (HBT). They were divided into SIBO-positive and SIBO-negative groups. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were obtained. RESULTS: Based on the HBT, 38 patients (39%) had bacteria overgrowth. There were no significant differences between SIBO-positive and SIBO-negative regarding demographic data and BMI classification (P > 0.05). Biochemical variables, the results of abdominal ultrasound, and liver elastography did not show any significant difference between SIBO-positive and SIBO-negative patients (P > 0.05). Patients with SIBO were found to have higher rates of bloating, while abdominal pain was more prevalent in SIBO-negative patients (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SIBO is prevalent in NAFLD and associated with bloating in these patients. Further studies are necessary to elucidate if therapeutic manipulation of gut microbiota reduces the risk of NAFLD, fibrosis, and liver cirrhosis.

Effect of acupressure on fatigue in patients on hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is considered as a major problem in hemodialysis patients and can impair their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of acupressure on fatigue in hemodialysis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a clinical trial study in which 96 hemodialysis patients participated. Patients were randomly assigned into acupressure, placebo, and control groups (32 subjects fulfilling the inclusion criteria assigned to each group). The measures included the form of demographic characteristics, visual analog scale of fatigue, and Piper Fatigue Scale. Patients in the acupressure and placebo groups received acupressure intervention during the early 2 h of dialysis on six acupoints with massage for 20 min/day, 3 days per week for 4 weeks. In the placebo group, acupressure intervention was performed as mentioned above with a distance of 1 cm away from the actual intervention site. Patients in the control group received routine unit care only. Chi- quare test, Kruskal-Wallis, paired t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Duncan test were used for data analysis. RESULTS: One-way ANOVA tests showed significant differences in the total mean score of fatigue and fatigue mean scores in the behavioral, emotional, sensory, and cognitive dimensions in the acupressure, placebo, and control groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that acupressure may reduce fatigue in hemodialysis patients, and use of this non-pharmacologic technique for hemodialysis nurses is suggested.