ISSN: 2642-6250
Authors: Suresh K*
Background: Itching in any part of the body without a primary rash and in the absence of xerosis or other recognizable causes in a person over 65 years old is called Senile Pruritis. Though Pruritus is a relatively common symptom everybody experiences at any point in their life, it impacts quality of life among elderly population. Materials and Methods: This article is based on managing 2 cases and another rare case managed by the Dermatology department of a government medical college that was taken for medico-social case study for MPH scholars in the last 2 years. Relevant literature search on etiology and management practices across the globe complimented the article. Results: While the rare case taught the MPH scholars i) Idiopathic generalized pruritus is a diagnosis of exclusion, that is often difficult for primary health care providers to treat, ii) with Patients with uncontrolled idiopathic pruritus, failing to respond to standard treatment of topical applications, antihistamines and cortisone, Low-dose gabapentin can be tried. iii) An empathetic support from the family contributes to medical management. Two other cases are just a few days old, but responding to standard treatment well, need to be followed up for final long-term outcome. The standard approach consists of i) Oral antihistamines (containing Fexofenadine) ii) Chlorpromazine 25 mg at night for addressing Psychogenic component and iii) Topical application of Crotamiton 10% lotion on affected skin surface twice a day after bath.
Keywords: Citizen Participation; Health in All Policies; Well-Being Economy; Community Social Capital
