Effectiveness of the nursing programme ‘Coping with itch’: a randomized controlled study in adults with chronic pruritic skin disease

Os‐Medendorp, Harmieke van; Ros, W.J.G.; Kok, P.C.M. Eland-de; Kennedy, Cornelis; Thio, Bing; Zande, Anneke van der; Grypdonck, Mieke; Bruijnzeel-Koomen, Carla A.F.M.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.2007.07919.x

Cited by 46 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…While few studies have been done on psychological treatments for chronic itch, cognitive behavioural therapy and patient education may help reduce the frequency of itch [121].…”

Section: Psychological Treatmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Chronic Pruritus in the Elderly: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Management

2015

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Chronic itch in the elderly is a common problem, with a significant impact on quality of life and sleep in elderly patients. Chronic itch may be attributable to several causes, including dry skin, immunosenescence and neural degeneration. Itch may also be caused by skin diseases, such as seborrhoeic dermatitis and stasis dermatitis; systemic conditions, such as end-stage renal disease and diabetes; and psychogenic conditions, such as depression and anxiety. The use of polypharmacy may also cause itch, with or without a rash. Specifically, thiazides and calcium channel blockers have been known to cause itch in elderly patients. Management should be tailored according to the underlying dermatological or systemic aetiology of itch. Topical treatment is the mainstay of therapy, providing special emphasis on skin hydration and barrier repair. In addition, topical and oral medications that target the nervous system and reduce neuronal hypersensitization, such as gabapentin and selective antidepressants, have a role in treating patients with severe chronic itch. Furthermore, management must account for changes in metabolism and pharmacokinetics of drugs in the aging population in order to prevent the occurrence of adverse effects.

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“…While few studies have been done on psychological treatments for chronic itch, cognitive behavioural therapy and patient education may help reduce the frequency of itch [121].…”

Section: Psychological Treatmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Patient education is an important component of successful treatment of pruritus [121]. Patients should be informed that scratching creates cutaneous inflammation and should be avoided whenever possible.…”

Section: Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic Pruritus in the Elderly: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Management

2015

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“…The programme is now widely available, reimbursed by health insurance and very popular in Germany. An educational and psychological programme, designed to reduce itch and help patients with chronic pruritic skin diseases cope with itch, and delivered by nurses, has been shown to have positive short-term effects (15)(16)(17). A recent study found long-term effects of a brief pruritus training for adult atopic dermatitis patients (18).…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

Educational Multidisciplinary Training Programme for Patients with Chronic Pruritus

Bathe¹,

Matterne²,

Dewald³

et al. 2009

Acta Derm Venerol

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Chronic pruritus (> 6 weeks) is a worldwide symptom and a burden in many dermatological, systemic and psychosomatic/psychiatric diseases. Patients with chronic pruritus frequently endure a long and complicated disease course, failure of therapy and a substantial reduction in quality of life. Psychological mechanisms may be involved in eliciting and coping with chronic pruritus. Treatment of pruritus aims to be aetiological, but as a primary illness it is symptomatic. The needs of patients with chronic pruritus are diverse. Multi-disciplinary educational and psychological training programmes aim to improve patients' understanding of the disease, raise the motivation to apply more adaptive self-care measures, and consequently improve quality of life. Maintenance of health through educational programmes, such as the one presented here, can be considered as important complementary measures in the field of medicine and psychosomatics, which should also be offered to patients with chronic pruritus.

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“…Patient education plays a paramount role in the management of pruritus [62]. Patients need to be educated on how to identify and avoid exacerbating factors.…”

Section: Treatment Of Pruritus In the Elderlymentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced aging skin and itch: addressing an unmet need

2013

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Itch is the most common skin disorder in the elderly and frequently diminishes quality of life in this population. The high prevalence of pruritus in elderly patients is attributed in part to the decline in the normal physiology of the advanced aging skin, and reflects poor hydration, impaired skin barrier, and altered neural function, all ultimately contributing to inflammation and pruritus. As the elderly population continues to grow, practitioners need to be aware of how to evaluate and manage pruritus, recognizing the common conditions contributing to itch in elderly patients as well as the challenges of treatment in this group. Ultimately, management of pruritus will require an individually tailored approach that is guided by a patient's general health, severity of symptoms, and the potential adverse effects of itch therapies.

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Effectiveness of the nursing programme ‘Coping with itch’: a randomized controlled study in adults with chronic pruritic skin disease

Cited by 46 publications

References 28 publications

Chronic Pruritus in the Elderly: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Management

Chronic Pruritus in the Elderly: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Management

Educational Multidisciplinary Training Programme for Patients with Chronic Pruritus

Advanced aging skin and itch: addressing an unmet need

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