Abstract:Objective To investigate the protective effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) fumigation and washing combined with moxibustion against early dysfunction of autogenous arteriovenous fistula in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Methods A total of 50 patients on maintenance hemodialysis who underwent autogenous arteriovenous fistula surgery for the first time were enrolled and randomly divided into treatment group with 26 patients and control group with 24 patients. The patients in the treatment group were given TCM fumigation and washing combined with moxibustion after surgery, and those in the control group were given conventional observation after surgery. The two groups were observed in terms of number of patients with dysfunction of arteriovenous fistula, blood flow velocity in fistula, and inner diameter of fistula at 3 months after surgery. Results Of all patients, 8 experienced dysfunction after surgery (seven patients in the control group and one in the treatment group), and the major cause was thrombosis. The treatment group had better blood flow velocity in fistula, inner diameter of fistula, and blood flow during dialysis than the control group, but there were no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). The binary logistic regression analysis showed that age, diabetes, and hypotension were the risk factors for early dysfunction of fistula. Conclusion TCM fumigation and washing combined with moxibustion can reduce the incidence of early dysfunction of autogenous arteriovenous fistula in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.