• Kwok Ying Chan, Cho Wing Li, Hilda Wong, Terence Yip, Man Lui Chan, Hon Wai Cheng, and Mau Kwong Sham.
• Palliative Medical Unit, Grantham Hospital, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong. cky842@yahoo.com.hk
• J Palliat Med. 2013 Aug 1;16(8):966-70.

BackgroundUremic pruritus is a common and distressing symptom occurring in 42% to 75% of end-stage renal dialysis (ESRD) patients, even in patients who are adequately dialyzed.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of consecutive patients who presented to the renal palliative care clinic in a single institution with pruritus refractory to antihistamines between April 2011 and September 2012. A total of 99 patients were screened during this period; 20 were eligible for this study. Sertraline was initiated at 25 mg daily orally for the first month, with dosage increment of 25 mg monthly according to clinical response up to a maximum of 200 mg daily as necessary. Patients were followed up every 2 to 4 weeks in the renal palliative care clinic.Results And ConclusionsStudy results showed that low-dose sertraline was effective for antihistamine-refractory uremic pruritus in renal palliative care patients. Further placebo-blinded randomized-controlled studies are warranted to clarify our findings.

26 keywords...

hide…