Pruritus

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of gabapentin for the treatment of uremic pruritus (UP). DATA SOURCES: Literature retrieval was accessed through MEDLINE (1950-March week 3, 2008; In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, April 1, 2008) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-March 2008) using the terms gabapentin, pruritus, itch, urem$ (truncated), dialysis, and kidney disease. The Google Scholar search engine was used to identify articles that MEDLINE did not capture with the described search terms.

Uremic pruritus (UP) is a common and bothersome symptom in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) that does not always respond to conventional care. Acupuncture is frequently used for the treatment of a wide range of conditions, but its effects on UP in ESRD patients are unclear. The objective of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for UP in patients with ESRD. We searched 16 electronic databases from their inception to November 2009. All prospective clinical studies of needle acupuncture for UP in hemodialysis patients with ESRD were included regardless of their design.

BACKGROUND: People living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) experience a range of symptoms and often have complex comorbidities. Many pharmacological interventions for people with CKD have known risks of adverse events. Acupuncture is widely used for symptom management in patients with chronic diseases and in other palliative care settings. However, the safety and efficacy of acupuncture for people with CKD remains largely unknown.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) has a high negative impact on quality of life. Acupuncture has antipruritic actions and may assist in treatment of AD; however, the current state of evidence for this remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture against placebo/sham acupuncture in the management of AD. Electronic searches were conducted on a number of databases, from their inception until November 2013. Studies comparing the effects of acupuncture with those of placebo/sham acupuncture on severity of disease or symptoms/signs of AD were included.

BACKGROUND: Pruritus is an unpleasant feeling that can cause the desire of scratching in a person and can be the symptoms of systemic, infectious, and neurological diseases. Pruritus is the most common clinical manifestation of skin diseases. Pruritus prevalence is 8-38% in the general population. Causes and treatments of pruritus have been described by traditional Persian medicine scientists. The aim of this study was to derive general principles of the proposed treatment to reduce or relieve pruritus.

Psychosomatic dermatology is practiced in some manner by every dermatologist. In spite of this, there has been a virtual void in the literature from the middle 1950s until the present time. The relationship to physiologic phenomena, as well as a classification of psychosomatic dermatology, is reviewed.

Hypnosis has no single place, but rather a broad range of application of technique and a long standing basis in the philosophy of patient care. We are not purists in any sense of the word. Our use of hypnosis in relief of pain in cases of cancer involves all formal medical procedures enhancing their potential through proper suggestions. We will endeavor to present some techniques of relaxation and pertinent case histories.

A 24-year-old patient was treated using hypnotic intervention for extreme pruritus. With hypnotherapy the pruritus cleared. Six months after her final appointment she sought hypnotherapy for unexplainable increasing numbness and pain. With hypnotherapy she experienced temporary relief. Later a diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome was made. Hypnotherapy appeared to improve muscle function temporarily in the acute stage of the patient's disease. Hypnotherapy to reduce the symptoms of Guillain-Barre should be investigated further.

We investigated the efficacy and untoward effects of low doses of propofol for intrathecal morphine-induced pruritus. Twenty gynecological and obstetric surgical patients received spinal anesthesia with 0.5% tetracaine and phenylephrine, as well as 0.2 mg morphine. Seven of them (35%) complained pruritus graded according to the treatment necessary in the postoperative period. Propofol, 10 mg or 20 mg, successfully alleviated the pruritus in 6 patients out of 7. Further treatment was not necessary in 5 of them.

Pruritus, or generalized itch, is a source of serious discomfort and distress in a significant minority of people living with AIDS. Anecdotal reports suggest hypnosis might be a useful treatment, leading to reductions in distress and improvements in the condition. But empirical examination of the question is notably lacking. This time-series study reports results of a 6-session self-hypnosis treatment (relaxation, deepening, imagery, and home practice) for 3 HIV-positive men suffering from pruritus, related to disease progression and/or HIV medications.