Treatment Effects of Different Incident Dialysis Modalities on Pruritus in Elderly Uremic Patients

Summary Background To observe the treatment effects of different dialysis modalities on pruritus in elderly uremic patients. Methods After screening, 67 elderly dialysis patients were selected, including 25 hemodialysis (HD) patients, 20 HD combined with hemodiafiltration (HD + HDF) patients, and 22 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels were measured before the initial dialysis, and 8 and 12 weeks after the dialysis. During these periods, cutaneous pruritus scores were documented and the remission rate of itching was calculated. Results There were significant differences in the plasma β2-MG and iPTH levels at 8 and 12 weeks after the initial dialysis in the HDF and PD groups (all p p p  > 0.05). After 12 weeks of treatment, the pruritus remission rates in the PD, HDF, and HD groups were 68.18%, 60.00%, and 24.00%, respectively. Conclusion PD and HDF can clear β2-MG and iPTH and provide relief from cutaneous pruritus efficiently in elderly uremic patients.