ABSTRACT
Introduction: Pruritus is a common symptom that significantly affects the quality of life of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). According to the international literature, approximately 40% of patients with end-stage renal disease are affected by pruritus.
Aim: To explore the association between pruritus in patients with CKD, their sociodemographic characteristics, and hemodialysis treatment.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted using self-report questionnaires. The questionnaire included two sections: sociodemographic characteristics and assessment of pruritus. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 23.
Results: Of all the variables examined (sex, marital status, educational level, place of residence, having children, net monthly income, hemodialysis, and the presence of diabetes mellitus), only hemodialysis was significantly associated with pruritus levels (p=0.003). Specifically, patients undergoing hemodialysis had higher pruritus levels than patients non undergoing hemodialysis.
Conclusions: The study demonstrated a significant association between hemodialysis and pruritus levels in patients with CKD. This finding indicates the need for targeted management of pruritus in hemodialysis patients.
Keywords: hemodialysis, patients, pruritus, Chronic Kidney Disease
