Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (Nov 2017)
Pattern of Risk Factors and Correlates of Pruritus among Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in Sokoto, Nigeria
Abstract
Introduction: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has become a major public health challenge globally. A cause for concern is the increasing burden of its risk factors, the complications of the disease, and their effects on the well-being of the increasing proportion of populations with end stage renal disease worldwide. Aim: To determine the pattern of risk factors and the correlates of pruritus among patients with CKD. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 124 consecutively diagnosed CKD patients at the nephrology unit of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria, between December 2014 and May 2015. A proforma was used to collect data on study subjects’ socio-demographic and clinical parameters. Data analysis was done using International Business Machines (IBM) SPSS Version 20.0 statistical computer software package with all levels of significance set at p<0.05. Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 46.7±14.9 years; out of 124, 103 (82.3%) were aged 21 – 60 years, and most of them were males (79.0%). The most prevalent risk factors of CKD were hypertension (47.6%), chronic glomerulonephritis (22.6%) and obstructive uropathy (13.7%). A larger proportion (54.8%) of the study subjects were haemodialysed. About one-fifth 20 (16.1%) had pruritus and the correlates of pruritus identified were sleep deprivation 55 (44.4%) and suicidal ideation 17 (13.7%). Conclusion: Hypertension and chronic glomerulonephritis were the major risk factors of CKD identified in this study. Although only a few had pruritus, the correlates of pruritus identified were sleep deprivation and suicidal ideation. In addition to initiating or scaling up interventions, targeting the risk factors of the disease, policymakers and healthcare providers should make routine screening for pruritus and its correlates an essential component of CKD patients’ care.
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