Background: Uraemic pruritus (UP) is one of the most frequent symptoms for patients in haemodialysis. Studies show that UP decreases quality of life including sleep. Patients find it difficult to describe the symptoms of UP to healthcare professionals.
Objectives: To explore how patients in haemodialysis experience the phenomenon of UP.
Methods: A qualitative phenomenological-hermeneutic framework was used. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were undertaken at a Danish university hospital in November 2015. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using Malterud's principles of systematic text condensation.
Results: Patients gave conflicting descriptions of the phenomenon. Patients experienced UP as a dual phenomenon described as 'the itch' and 'itching'. 'The itch' will never disappear and is unmanageable, and 'itching' appears intermittently and is possible to prevent and alleviate.
Conclusion/application to practice: It is impossible for patients to manage UP on their own but it may be possible to manage it as a dual phenomenon. This knowledge can give both patients and healthcare professionals a new perspective on UP and its symptoms.
Keywords: Haemodialysis; Patient Involvement; Uraemic pruritus.
© 2017 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.