Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2018. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Nephrol. Aug 7, 2018; 7(4): 84-89
Published online Aug 7, 2018. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v7.i4.84
Role of narrow band ultra violet radiation as an add-on therapy in peritoneal dialysis patients with refractory uremic pruritus
Ranjeeta Sapam, Rajesh Waikhom
Ranjeeta Sapam, Department of Dermatology Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Porompat 795005, India
Rajesh Waikhom, Department of Nephrology, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Porompat 795005, India
Author contributions: Sapam R is the main author and contributed to data recording, follow up and analysis; Waikhom R designed the study, did the literature search and contributed to the writing of the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences Institutional Review Board.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Rajesh Waikhom, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Nephrology, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal East, Manipur, Porompat 795005 India. rajesh.waikhom@gmail.com
Telephone: +91-897-4007290
Received: April 25, 2018
Peer-review started: April 25, 2018
First decision: May 8, 2018
Revised: June 26, 2018
Accepted: June 28, 2018
Article in press: June 28, 2018
Published online: August 7, 2018
Abstract
AIM

To assess the role of narrow band ultraviolet B (UVB) as a treatment option in peritoneal dialysis patients with refractory uremic pruritus.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 29 adult patients with end stage renal failure on peritoneal dialysis, and who had refractory uremic pruritus, were given narrow band UVB radiation as an add-on therapy to standard care for a duration of 12 wk. The response to the pruritus was assessed both weekly and at the end of the study period using a visual analogue score (VAS).

RESULTS

The average VAS score at the end of the study was 3.14 ± 1.59, which was significant compared to the baseline value of 7.75 ± 1.02 (P < 0.05). Improvements in symptoms were noted in 19 out of 21 (90.4%) patients. However, relapse occurred in six out of the 19 patients who responded. The dropout rate was high during the study period (33.3%).

CONCLUSION

Narrow band UVB is effective as an add-on therapy in peritoneal dialysis patients with refractory uremic pruritus. However, the present regime is cumbersome and patient compliance is poor.

Keywords: Narrow band ultraviolet radiation, Uremic pruritus, Peritoneal dialysis, Visual analogue score, Retrospective study

Core tip: Uremic pruritus is a very distressing condition commonly seen in patients with advanced renal failure. Patients respond poorly to the currently available treatment regime. Narrow band ultraviolet (NUV-B) radiation is a treatment option in patients with refractory symptoms. In this study, we selected patients on peritoneal dialysis who had refractory pruritic symptoms, and used NUV-B as an add-on therapy to the standard medical care for a period of 12 wk. We found that using NUV-B improved symptoms in more than 90% of patients. However, the present regime used is not patient-friendly and compliance is poor.