title: Characteristics of pruritus in children on peritoneal dialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of pruritus in pediatric patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven patients (16 females, 11 males), aged between 5 and 18 years, were evaluated for the presence, intensity, onset, activation time, duration, characteristics, localization and increasing factors for pruritus. The intensity of pruritus was scored using a visual analog scale. Patients were grouped according to the existence of pruritus and other clinical and laboratory parameters (dialysis duration, dialysis adequacy, hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, Ca, P, albumin, bicarbonate, parathyroid hormone (PTH), C-reactive protein (CRP)) were compared between the 2 groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 11.85 +/- 4.4 years. There were 21 patients (77.7%) without pruritus and 6 patients with pruritus (22.2%). Serum P, PTH, CRP levels and CaxP product were significantly higher in patients with pruritus compared to patients without pruritus (p = 0.027, p = 0.03, p < 0.026, p = 0.031, respectively). In a stepwise logistic regression model, P (p = 0.01), CaxP product (p = 0.09), PTH (p = 0.03) and CRP (p = 0.02) were independently associated with pruritus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study indicates that pruritus remains a common but not troublesome symptom in children on peritoneal dialysis. Higher serum P, CaxP product, PTH and CRP concentrations appear to be important factors associated with uremic pruritus in this group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Ondokuz Mayis University, School of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey. nilsenturk@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Nilgun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Senturk
authors.forename: Ozan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozkaya
authors.forename: Sevil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aytekin
authors.forename: Kenan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bek
authors.forename: Yonca
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Açikgöz
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Yuksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bek
authors.forename: Ahmet Yaşar
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Turanli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy