Effect of Nursing Guidelines about Pruritus on Patients with Skin Diseases

Abstract

Background: chronic pruritus is a common complaint among patients with skin diseases, which impacts on the quality of life. Aim: to evaluate the effect of implementing nursing guidelines about pruritus on patients with skin diseases. Design: A quasi-experimental research design was used. Setting: The study was conducted at the department of Dermatology and the outpatient clinic of dermatology at Beni-Suef University Hospital. Sample the study included a convenient sample of 80 patients with chronic pruritus. Tools of data collection: Three tools were used. Tool (I): A structured interview questionnaire included three parts; part 1. patients' demographic characteristics e.g., age, sex, education level, part 2:patients 'clinical data to assess health condition and part 3 patients 'level of knowledge about pruritus Tool (II): Pruritus area Severity Index (PASI) for assessing severity of pruritus & tool (III): Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) to assess the health-related quality of life of adult patients suffering from a skin disease Results: nursing guidelines implementation showed a significant difference on patients level of knowledge, Pruritus area Severity Index and QOL among patients with skin diseases with p value = <0.05, Also there was highly statistically significant correlation between Knowledge score, Dermatology life quality Index (DLQI) and PASI score with p-value = <0.001 Conclusion: application of nursing guidelines are appropriate way to improving patients level of knowledge, quality of life and decreasing severity of chronic pruritus among patients with skin diseases. Recommendations: This study recommend implementing nursing guidelines about pruritus as part of the routine primary care service provided for patients with skin diseases.