• Jia-Wen Lai, Hung-Chih Chen, Che-Yi Chou, Hung-Rong Yen, Tsai-Chung Li, Mao-Feng Sun, Hen-Hong Chang, Chiu-Ching Huang, Fuu-Jen Tsai, Johannes Tschen, and Chiz-Tzung Chang.
• College of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
• Bmc Nephrol. 2017 Feb 8; 18 (1): 56.

BackgroundPruritus is a common and frustrating symptom in hemodialysis (HD) patients and 5-D itch scale is proposed as a reliable measurement of pruritus. However, information regarding 5-D itch scale categories is currently unavailable. We explored optimal cut-offs 5-D itching scale based on numerical rating scale (NRS) categories in HD patients.MethodsFour hundred and nine HD patients in China Medical University Hospital in December 2014 were included and severity of pruritus was estimated using NRS and 5-D itch scale. The association of NRS and 5-D itch scale was analyzed by linear regression. The optimal cut-offs for 5-D itch scale based on NRS categories were generated.ResultsThe average NRS was 3.4 ± 3.0 and the average 5-D itch scale was 10.9 ± 4.8. The 5-D score was strongly correlated with the NRS: r = 0.831 (p < 0.001). NRS = -2.31 + 0.52 × (5-D scale). The averages of 5-D scales were 6.4 ± 1.5, 9.6 ± 2.2, 13.1 ± 3.2, 15.7 ± 4.4, 19.5 ± 4.4 for no, mild, moderate, severe, and very severe pruritus based on categorized NRS. A 5-D itch scale categories were proposed, ≤ 8 for NRS = 0, 9-11 for mild pruritus, 12-17 for moderate pruritus, 18-21 for severe pruritus and ≥ 22 for very severe pruritus.ConclusionsCategories for the 5-D itch scale were proposed based on the measurements of pruritus severity in HD patients. This information provides a simple solution that enables transformation between the 5-D itch scale and the numerical rating scale.

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