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Uraemic Pruritus
(Kidney Disease)
Acupuncture in haemodialysis patients at the Quchi (LI11)
acupoint for refractory uraemic pruritus.
Che-Yi C, Wen CY,
Min-Tsung K, Chiu-Ching H.
Division of
Nephrology, Department of Medicine, China Medical University Hospital,
Taichung, Taiwan.
BACKGROUND:
Uraemic pruritus is a common problem in end-stage renal failure patients.
Traditional therapies produce marginal or no results. Acupuncture has been
reported to be effective. The aim of this randomized, controlled study was to
validate a single acupoint for relieving uraemic pruritus.
METHODS: We
randomized 40 patients with refractory uraemic pruritus into two groups. In
group 1 (n = 20), acupuncture was applied unilaterally at the Quchi (LI11)
acupoint thrice weekly for 1 month. In group 2 (controls, n = 20), acupuncture
was applied at a non-acupoint 2 cm lateral to Quchi (LI11) thrice weekly for 1
month. Subjects responded to a pruritus score questionnaire given before and at
the end of the 1 month treatment and at a 3 months follow-up. The results of
the pruritus scores were analysed with the repeated measures general linear
model to examine the effect of acupuncture on pruritus scores.
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RESULTS: In
group 1, pruritus scores before and after acupuncture and at the 3 month
follow-up were 38.3+/-4.3, 17.3+/-5.5 and 16.5+/-4.9, and in group 2 (controls)
they were 38.3+/-4.3, 37.5+/-3.2 and 37.1+/-5, respectively. Laboratory tests
showed no significant differences between the two groups. Pruritus scores were
significantly lower after acupuncture and at the 3 month follow-up, P<0.001.
CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture at the Quchi (LI11) acupoint is an easy, safe and
effective means of relieving uraemic pruritus.
PMID: 15985509 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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