Prevalence of chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus, and association with sleep quality among hemodialysis patients in Pakistan.

BackgroundThe prevalence of chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) varies from 22% to 84% among patients receiving hemodialysis. It occurs more frequently at night, and often affects patient's sleep quality. CKD-aP is often unreported by patients, and many do not receive effective treatment. There is, however, a paucity of available data on the prevalence and impact of CKD-aP on patients receiving hemodialysis in Pakistan.MethodsA multicenter cross-sectional study was undertaken from July 2016 to April 2017 at a tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan.Results354 patients undergoing hemodialysis were studied. 35.6% had CKD for 1-2 years, and 42.4% were receiving hemodialysis for 1-2 years. The prevalence of pruritus was 74%. The median [interquartile range] score for pruritus was 10.0 (out of possible 25) [8.0-12.0]; while the median [interquartile range] Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score was 8.0 (out of possible 21) [7.0-10.0]'. Pruritus was significantly correlated with the sleep score (r = 0.423, pConclusionsChronic kidney disease-associated pruritus is very common in patients receiving hemodialysis in Pakistan. Pruritus is significantly associated with poor sleep quality.