This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Pruritus affected HIV-positive patients' quality of life

HIV-positive patients at a US clinic experienced a high prevalence of pruritus that significantly affected their quality of life, according to recent study results.

Gil Yosipovitch, MD, department of dermatology and the Temple Itch Center, Temple University School of Medicine, and colleagues asked 201 HIV-positive patients (mean age, 47 years; 61% men) to complete a sociodemographic form and two itch questionnaires between August and December 2012 at an HIV outpatient clinic at the Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C. A numeric visual analog scale (VAS) was used to measure itch intensity by patients with itching.

 

Gil Yosipovitch

Forty-seven percent of patients reported itching on the day of physical examination, with chronic itch (more than 6 weeks’ duration) reported by 45% of patients. Mean VAS score during an itch episode was 5.93 ± 2.31.

“Patients with high [VAS] score had significantly decreased [quality of life (QOL); P<.01],” the researchers reported. “Patients with HIV reported greater negative impact of pruritus on their daily lives.”

Xerosis (23%), fungal infections (12%), seborrheic dermatitis (9%) and eczema (7%) were the most common dermatoses noted. Thirteen patients (6%) had pruritic popular eruption (PPE). Worse QOL was associated with pruritus caused by eczema, prurigo nodularis and PPE (P<.05).

“This study represents one of the first assessments of pruritus and its effect on QOL in HIV-positive patients in a population from the United States,” the researchers concluded. “Chronic pruritus is common in HIV-positive individuals in the current era of effective [antiretroviral therapy] and has an adverse impact on QOL. There is a need to assess and treat itch as part of the management of chronic HIV infection.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.