Prevalence of Chronic Pruritus in Elderly Black and White Inpatients: A Comparative Population Study

Black and geriatric patients were reported in small scale studies to have more intense chronic pruritus (CP). Studies comparing itch across geriatric racial groups are lacking.

To compare the prevalence of CP in Black and White inpatients ≥ 65 years old as well as the top primary diagnoses of these populations.

We used data from the National Inpatient Sample from 2016-2019 to analyze CP prevalence and ICD10-CM to identify diseases. The top five primary diagnoses were calculated for a subpopulation with CP. Sample characteristics were described, and the data was pooled and analyzed using IBM SPSS^® Complex Sample modules.

Among hospitalized Black inpatients ≥ 65 years old, the prevalence of CP was 0.26% while in the White cohort it was 0.22%. The top five primary diagnoses in the Black population with itch were sepsis (4.2%); hypertensive heart and chronic kidney disease (CKD) with heart failure (HF) and stage 1-4 CKD, or unspecified CKD (4.1%); acute kidney failure (4.0%); hypertensive heart and CKD with HF with stage 5 CKD, or end-stage renal disease (2.1%); and hypertensive heart disease with HF (1.7%). The top five primary diagnoses in the White population were sepsis (4.25%); acute kidney failure (3.0%); hypertensive heart and CKD with HF and stage 1-4 CKD, or unspecified CKD (2.5%); cellulitis of left lower limb (1.9%); and unilateral primary osteoarthritis, right knee (1.9%).

Geriatric hospitalized Black patients demonstrated a higher prevalence of chronic itch compared with the White cohort, which may be related to the higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease in different stages of severity in this population.