Abstract: 【Abstract】Objective To understand the symptom features and treatment condition of pruritus in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Methods MHD patients with pruritus in Guangzhou and Beijing were recruited in this study. Symptoms, treatment situation and factors influencing pruritus severity were investigated. Results A total of 128 patients were enrolled in this study, and 49.22% of them had moderate to extreme pruritus. Pruritus was mainly occurred on back (75.78%) and lower limbs (57.81%), often occurring during night (73.44%) and in winter (62.50%); 46.88% of the patients were found to have scratches on skin; 28.13% of the patients were suffering from anxiety. The severity of pruritus increased with age (t=2.577, P=0.011); 12.50% of the patients receive treatment for pruritus, with the satisfaction rate of 37.50% to the treatment. Conclusions Uremic pruritus can cause skin damage and anxiety. Nearly half of the patients had moderate to extreme pruritus. The severity of pruritus was related to age. However, only a few patients received the treatment for pruritus and the satisfaction rate was quite low.

Key words: Pruritus, Itch, Hemodialysis, Uremia