Restless and endless symptom? Pruritus in patients with liver diseases: A mix method study

ObjectivesThe study aimed to determine the multidimensional impact of pruritus, to define the impact on quality of life and to identify the experiences of patients with the symptom.MethodsA mixed-methods study with sequential quantitative and qualitative method with 57 patients experiencing pruritus in the hepatology and internal medicine clinics.ResultsA pruritus prevalence of 37.7% was found, with a mean score of 19.4 ± 3.4 (0-25) and the daily duration was 18-23 h/day (43.9%). The mean total score of the Liver Disease Symptom Index 2.0 was 66.57 ± 9.13 (0-96). A correlation was found between elevated GGT levels and pruritus. The qualitative content analysis consisted of three main themes: the meaning of pruritus and scratching; impact on quality of life; and ways of coping/dealing with pruritus symptom.DiscussionThe study shows that quantitative and qualitative results concurred that pruritus impairs patient's quality of life in regards to sleep, social isolation, daily living activities, and eating habits.