ArticleCureus2024
Comparison Between Pregabalin and Sertraline in the Treatment of Uremic Pruritus in Patients With Maintenance Hemodialysis.
Article in Cureus, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Chronic Kidney Disease-Associated Pruritus in Hemodialysis: Unraveling Mechanisms and Emerging Therapeutic Targets-A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials on Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Analogues and Opioid-Based Therapies for CKD-Associated Pruritus.Kidney international reports · 2025Article
- Pruritus in Uremic Patients: Approaches to Alleviating a Common Symptom in Chronic Kidney Disease.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction Pruritus, a medical symptom also known as itch, is characterized by an unpleasant feeling coupled with the urge to scratch. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often have symptoms of pruritus due to uremia, which has adversely affected their quality of life. The treatment protocol for CKD pruritus is still being debated due to its unclear etiopathogenesis. Pregabalin, an anticonvulsant medication, and sertraline, an antidepressant medication, have been used to treat uremic pruritus (UP) patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Objectives There are no adequate investigations comparing the efficacy of pregabalin and sertraline, particularly in under-resourced countries such as Pakistan. Method The research was a randomized trial for a period of four weeks at the nephrology department of the Mayo Hospital, Lahore. A total of 62 patients were randomly assigned to take either pregabalin (aged 48.06±13.44) or sertraline (aged 47.45±10.97) tablet once a day, a total of 31 patients to each group. The pregabalin group was specified 25 mg for the first week, 50 mg for the second week, and 75 mg for the third and fourth week. Similarly, sertraline was prescribed 25 mg for the first week and 50 mg for the remaining three weeks. However, if the patient shows improvement on the lowest dosage, therapy with the same minimum dose was proposed to be continued. Lastly, the itching score was assessed on the 5D pruritus scale. The Visit 1 (no drug) score was evaluated against post-therapy scores at two-week intervals as Visit 2 (week 2) and Visit 3 (week 4). Statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS, version 26; IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Armonk, NY) with a significance level set at p<0.05 and 95% confidence level. Conclusion This research concluded that both pregabalin and sertraline significantly improved itching intensity in each treatment group; however, there was no significant difference between the two drugs in reducing UP based on the 5D itching scores. In each domain of the 5D pruritus scale, a significant difference was found in post-follow-up pregabalin and sertraline therapy.
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