Treatment Effects of Different Incident Dialysis Modalities on Pruritus in Elderly Uremic Patients

Abstract

Background: To observe the treatment effects of different dialysis modalities on pruritus in elderly uremic patients. Methods: After screening, 67 elderly dialysis patients were selected, including 25 hemodialysis (HD) patients, 20 HD combined with hemodiafiltration (HD + HDF) patients, and 22 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels were measured before the initial dialysis, and 8 and 12 weeks after the dialysis. During these periods, cutaneous pruritus scores were documented and the remission rate of itching was calculated. Results: There were significant differences in the plasma β2-MG and iPTH levels at 8 and 12 weeks after the initial dialysis in the HDF and PD groups (all p 0.05). After 12 weeks of treatment, the pruritus remission rates in the PD, HDF, and HD groups were 68.18%, 60.00%, and 24.00%, respectively. Conclusion: PD and HDF can clear β2-MG and iPTH and provide relief from cutaneous pruritus efficiently in elderly uremic patients.

Keywords

• elderly
• hemodiafiltration
• hemodialysis
• peritoneal dialysis
• uremic pruritus