title: An epidemiology study of patients with uremic pruritus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pruritus is a common problem in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and haemodialysis patients. There are few studies on the clinical characteristics of uremic itch, the cause of which is still unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to define the prevalence and clinical characteristics of pruritus in CAPD and haemodialysis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was used to evaluate pruritus in 52 CAPD and 289 haemodialysis patients in two dialysis units. The relationship of various factors and medical parameters to itch was examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 341 patients, 177 (51.9%) had pruritus at the time of examination, 97 (28.4%) had pruritus in the past. Pruritus was present in 145 (50.2%) of the haemodialysis patients and 32 (61.5%) of the CAPD patients. Men, patients with liver disease, and patients with pruritus before starting dialysis treatment were more likely to have uremic pruritus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed us that uremic pruritus was observed more in men than women. The high prevalence of uremic pruritus in our study does not support the decrease of pruritus due to an improvement in the management of dialysis patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Erciyes University Medical Faculty, Kayseri, Turkey. smistik@erciyes.edu.tr
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mistik
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Utas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferahbas
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tokgoz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Unsal
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sahan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Utas
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory; D015995:Prevalence; D011537:Pruritus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014511:Uremia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*