Pruritus

Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus is a significant clinical symptom affecting more than 50% of patients on hemodialysis. Treatment of Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus should be undertaken according to individual benefit-risk ratio assessments.

There exists a multitude of medical conditions that cause intractable itch, or pruritus. These novel antipruritic agents will be explored in this review.

Pruritus, or itch, is a common sensation that causes a person to want to scratch. It is a complex process that may negatively impact quality of life. This overview provides information regarding the various management and treatment options for pruritus.

Dryness and itching in the vulvovaginal area is an increasing problem as our female population ages and becomes menopausal. This dryness and itching is often the result of estrogen deficiency, and there are typically two types of treatment: Specific Therapy (or hormone replacement therapy), and Nonspecific Therapy.

There are no specific antipruritic drugs on the market, but there are a high number of case reports and experimental investigations describing medications with antipruritic potency. It is therefore the aim of this article to review the major systemic antipruritic drugs and give a short overview on the different types of pruritus.