Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41283620›Full record

ArticlePharmacy (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Extemporaneous Preparation and Effectiveness of Low-Dose Naltrexone for the Treatment of Uremic Pruritus: A Literature Review and Case Report.

Dhakrit Rungkitwattanakul, Michelle Brooks, Simeon Adesina, Sanaa Belrhiti, Weerachai Chaijamorn, Taniya Charoensareerat, Uzoamaka Nwaogwugwu, Constance Mere

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Dhakrit RungkitwattanakulDepartment of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy Science, Howard University College of Pharmacy, Washington, DC 20059, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2674-342X
Michelle BrooksDepartment of Pharmacy, Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC 20060, USA.
Simeon AdesinaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Howard University College of Pharmacy, Washington, DC 20059, USA.
Sanaa BelrhitiDepartment of Pharmacy, Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC 20060, USA.
Weerachai ChaijamornDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Taniya CharoensareeratFaculty of Pharmacy, Siam University, Bangkok 10160, Thailand.ORCID 0000-0002-1100-2162
Uzoamaka NwaogwugwuDivision of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA.
Constance MereDivision of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUremic pruritus is one of the most debilitating complications among patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) receiving hemodialysis. For patients who are refractory to traditional therapies (topical analgesics, antihistamines, or gabapentinoids), the use of low-dose naltrexone can be an option where difelikefalin is not available. CASE REPORT: In our case report, we present a case of a female patient who developed intractable uremic pruritus despite the adequate trials of traditional therapies. The patient was initiated with low-dose naltrexone of 5 mg daily. Uremic symptoms improved within 3 days of naltrexone initiation. The side effects were tolerated.

conclusionLow-dose naltrexone provided symptomatic improvement in individuals with severe uremic pruritus when difelikefalin was inaccessible. While limited to a single case, this report highlights the potential role of naltrexone and underscores the need for further research to establish its safety and efficacy.

Indexed as

hemodialysislow dosenaltrexoneuremic pruritus

Identifiers

PMID41283620
PMCPMC12641688

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.