An Important Problem Among Hemodialysis Patients: Uremic Pruritus and Affecting Factors

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted in order to determine the incidence of uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients and to explore the associated factors.

MATERIAL and METHODS: This descriptive study included 204 patients. Official permissions from the institutions and informed consents of the patients were obtained. The data were gathered using a questionnaire form designed by the investigators and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The t test, one-way ANOVA and logistic regression analysis were used for the statistical analyses of the data.

RESULTS: We found that 75.5% of the patients suffered from pruritus after hemodialysis treatment was initiated and 64.2% of them had an average level of pruritus (6.0±2.0) at the time of the study. It was noted that 37.4% had wounds caused by pruritus and 61.1% woke up from their sleep due to pruritus. Patients who were aged ≥ 65 were 3.91 times more likely to suffer from very severe pruritus compared to other age groups and patients with dry skin were 9.90 times more likely to suffer from very severe pruritus as compared to those with normal skin (p<0.05)

CONCLUSION: In light of these results, it may be recommended that patients who suffer from uremic pruritus should be provided with the necessary care and training programs, taking into account their individual and disease-related characteristics.