Comparing The Efficacy And Safety Of Pregabalin Vs Gabapentin In Uremic Pruritus In Patients Of Chronic Kidney Injury Undergoing Haemodialysis.

BACKGROUND

World has been facing an epidemic of non-communicable diseases including heart, metabolic and renal diseases. Renal diseases have been commonly diagnosed and managed in low- and middle-income countries. Objective was to compare efficacy and safety of Pregabalin and Gabapentin in uremic pruritus among patients of chronic kidney injury undergoing haemodialysis. It was a comparative cross-sectional study, conducted at the Department of nephrology Abbottabad International Medical Institute. February 2021 to January 2022.

METHODS

Total of 90 cases were included in the study, which were diagnosed as chronic kidney disease stage 5 undergoing haemodialysis and presented with pruritus. Pruritus was gauged on numeric rating scale and patients score of more than 6 were included. Patients were randomly divided into two groups via lottery method. Group A received Pregabalin while group B received Gabapentin. Efficacy and safety were assessed in both groups at the end of six months.

RESULTS

Out of 90 dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease patients with significant pruritus included in the study, 61 (52.7%) patients were males and 29 (46.3%) were females. At the end of 6 weeks, we found out that 35 (38.9%) had no pruritus, 25 (27.8%) had mild, 19 (21.1%) had moderate while 11 (12.2%) had severe pruritus. After applying the chi-square test we found that Pregablin was statistically significantly more efficacious then Gabapentin (p-value-0.026). Sedation, nausea and blurred vision were found more in patients who took Pregabalin (p-value<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pregablin emerged out to be more efficacious with regards to reducing pruritus of the two medications compared in our study population while patients who took Gabapentin experience significantly a smaller number of side effects as compared to patients who were given Pregabalin.