Question

What is your main goal when treating a patient with Pruritus, independently of the cause?

Answer 1

Pruritus occurs in patients with disparate underlying diseases and is caused by different pathologic mechanisms.

Depending on the cause of your itchy skin, it may appear in various form like reddish dry wet, etc

The main goal of treating the patient with pruritus is to find the underlying cause like as below

1. Allergies to foods, insect bites.
2. Reactions to drugs, chemicals.
3. Bacterial or fungal infection.
4. Parasitic infestations, for example; scabies or lice.

In order to avoid the life-threatening situation we can take the following measures

Preventing the precipitating factors, such as the rough clothes, too hot, and that causes vasodilation when it may cause itching (eg. Caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods). If the need to scratch is unbearable, then rub or scratch the area concerned with the palm of the hand.

The use of a visual analog scale (0 = no itch, 10 = worst itch imaginable) may enable patients to describe the severity of itch experienced at different times and monitor response to treatments. Changes in skin scratching may provide more objective data.

General measures

• Encourage gentle rubbing rather than scratching
• Keep fingernails short
• Wear cotton gloves to reduce the impact of scratching
• Maintain a cool room temperature
• Use tepid water when bathing
• Temporary relief may be obtained from a cold compress or directing airflow from a fan on to wet skin
• Pat dry rather than rub
• Avoid clothing that may irritate the skin (loose-fitting cotton garments are often preferred)
• Avoid soap or scented skin products
• Maintain hydration
• Observe for and treat skin infection
• Encourage distraction, minimize boredom and anxiety