Abstract
Background: Pruritus is one of the commonest skin complaints in end-stage kidney disease. Pruritus can be effectively managed if proper assessment is carried out to categorise its severity. The objective of this study is to test the reliability of an Arabic version of the 5D-Itching scale (5D-IS).
Method: A self-administered Arabic version of the 5D-IS was tested for linguistic validation. Language validity of the tool was carried by using the forward/ backward method. Internal consistency was tested using Cronbach's alpha and Spearman's rank. Factor analysis was performed to assess the content adequacy of the study tool.
Findings: A total of 151 patients completed the survey. The 5D-IS is mainly comprised of five domains that are used to assess the level of itching. The mean +/- SD 5-D score obtained in the study group was 12.7 +/- 5.3 with scores ranging between 6 and 25. Cronbach's alpha was 0.850 for the five domains of 5 D-IS. The reliability of five domain 5 D-IS indicates the practical applicability of the instrument with inter-correlation of 0.847 (p< 0.05).
Conclusion: The 5D-IS was found to be a reliable tool for assessing itching in Arabic patients with uraemic pruritus. Due to its simplicity, this tool can easily be used by clinical staff to assess the severity of pruritus.