Abstract
Introduction: Pruritus is a common and bothersome symptom in chronic kidney disease patients, particularly those on dialysis. We aimed to establish the prevalence of pruritus among renal dialysis patients in King Abdulaziz University Hospital and assess its relationship with dietary consumption and laboratory findings. There has yet to be any similar research conducted in this area. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study started from January to November 2022 during dialysis, 44 patients were interviewed and analyzed in a dialysis clinic. Any patient under the age of 18 was excluded. Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and t-test were used to determine the connection between the variables. Results: Pruritus was present in 40.9% of the participants, with an average scale of 4.9/10. The biochemical indicators of kidney function were analyzed quantitatively, in which 100% of the participant had a high pre-dialysis and 11.4% had a high post-dialysis urea. In addition, 36.4% had high phosphorus levels, 29.5% had elevated potassium levels, 6.8% had high albumin and 84.1% had appropriate KT/v. There was a strong association between pruritus and pre-creatinine. The mean pre-creatinine in the presence of pruritus was significantly different from the mean pre-creatinine in the absence of pruritus (P = 0.005). Conclusion: We found that more than 50% of our patients on dialysis did not have pruritus. Moreover, there was insignificant relationship between dietary intake and pruritus. On the other hand, we discovered a substantial rise in the biochemical marker creatinine and pruritus, which was strongly present in our patients.