Review of therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and protocols for management in adult and paediatric patients using the GRADE classification

To review the current evidence on therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and use the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) classification to propose therapeutic protocols for adult and paediatric patients. All published interventions for burns pruritus were analys...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ioannis Goutos, Maria Clarke, Clara Upson, Patricia M. Richardson, Sudip J. Ghosh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2010-09-01
Series:Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0039-1699462
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850107460492197888
author Ioannis Goutos
Maria Clarke
Clara Upson
Patricia M. Richardson
Sudip J. Ghosh
author_facet Ioannis Goutos
Maria Clarke
Clara Upson
Patricia M. Richardson
Sudip J. Ghosh
author_sort Ioannis Goutos
collection DOAJ
description To review the current evidence on therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and use the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) classification to propose therapeutic protocols for adult and paediatric patients. All published interventions for burns pruritus were analysed by a multidisciplinary panel of burns specialists following the GRADE classification to rate individual agents. Following the collation of results and panel discussion, consensus protocols are presented. Twenty-three studies appraising therapeutic agents in the burns literature were identified. The majority of these studies (16 out of 23) are of an observational nature, making an evidence-based approach to defining optimal therapy not feasible. Our multidisciplinary approach employing the GRADE classification recommends the use of antihistamines (cetirizine and cimetidine) and gabapentin as the first-line pharmacological agents for both adult and paediatric patients. Ondansetron and loratadine are the second-line medications in our protocols. We additionally recommend a variety of non-pharmacological adjuncts for the perusal of clinicians in order to maximise symptomatic relief in patients troubled with postburn itch. Most studies in the subject area lack sufficient statistical power to dictate a ‘gold standard’ treatment agent for burns itch. We encourage clinicians to employ the GRADE system in order to delineate the most appropriate therapeutic approach for burns pruritus until further research elucidates the most efficacious interventions. This widely adopted classification empowers burns clinicians to tailor therapeutic regimens according to current evidence, patient values, risks and resource considerations in different medical environments.
format Article
id doaj-art-4b2b365d18d24d5e87caf50786fc6d8b
institution OA Journals
issn 0970-0358
1998-376X
language English
publishDate 2010-09-01
publisher Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
record_format Article
series Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
spelling doaj-art-4b2b365d18d24d5e87caf50786fc6d8b2025-08-20T02:38:35ZengThieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery0970-03581998-376X2010-09-0143S51S6210.1055/s-0039-1699462Review of therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and protocols for management in adult and paediatric patients using the GRADE classificationIoannis Goutos0Maria Clarke1Clara Upson2Patricia M. Richardson3Sudip J. Ghosh4Department of Plastic Surgery, Queen Alexandra Hospital, QUAD Building, Southwick Hill Road, Cosham, Portsmouth, PO6 3LY, United KingdomDepartments of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Mandeville Road, Buckinghamshire, HP21 8AL, United KingdomDepartments of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Mandeville Road, Buckinghamshire, HP21 8AL, United KingdomDepartment of Anaesthesia, St. Andrew's Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns, East Wing, Broomfield Hospital, Court Road, Chelmsford, CM1 7ET, United KingdomDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Mandeville Road, Buckinghamshire, HP21 8AL, United KingdomTo review the current evidence on therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and use the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) classification to propose therapeutic protocols for adult and paediatric patients. All published interventions for burns pruritus were analysed by a multidisciplinary panel of burns specialists following the GRADE classification to rate individual agents. Following the collation of results and panel discussion, consensus protocols are presented. Twenty-three studies appraising therapeutic agents in the burns literature were identified. The majority of these studies (16 out of 23) are of an observational nature, making an evidence-based approach to defining optimal therapy not feasible. Our multidisciplinary approach employing the GRADE classification recommends the use of antihistamines (cetirizine and cimetidine) and gabapentin as the first-line pharmacological agents for both adult and paediatric patients. Ondansetron and loratadine are the second-line medications in our protocols. We additionally recommend a variety of non-pharmacological adjuncts for the perusal of clinicians in order to maximise symptomatic relief in patients troubled with postburn itch. Most studies in the subject area lack sufficient statistical power to dictate a ‘gold standard’ treatment agent for burns itch. We encourage clinicians to employ the GRADE system in order to delineate the most appropriate therapeutic approach for burns pruritus until further research elucidates the most efficacious interventions. This widely adopted classification empowers burns clinicians to tailor therapeutic regimens according to current evidence, patient values, risks and resource considerations in different medical environments.http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0039-1699462pruritusburnitchantihistaminesgabapentin
spellingShingle Ioannis Goutos
Maria Clarke
Clara Upson
Patricia M. Richardson
Sudip J. Ghosh
Review of therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and protocols for management in adult and paediatric patients using the GRADE classification
Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
pruritus
burn
itch
antihistamines
gabapentin
title Review of therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and protocols for management in adult and paediatric patients using the GRADE classification
title_full Review of therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and protocols for management in adult and paediatric patients using the GRADE classification
title_fullStr Review of therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and protocols for management in adult and paediatric patients using the GRADE classification
title_full_unstemmed Review of therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and protocols for management in adult and paediatric patients using the GRADE classification
title_short Review of therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and protocols for management in adult and paediatric patients using the GRADE classification
title_sort review of therapeutic agents for burns pruritus and protocols for management in adult and paediatric patients using the grade classification
topic pruritus
burn
itch
antihistamines
gabapentin
url http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0039-1699462
work_keys_str_mv AT ioannisgoutos reviewoftherapeuticagentsforburnspruritusandprotocolsformanagementinadultandpaediatricpatientsusingthegradeclassification
AT mariaclarke reviewoftherapeuticagentsforburnspruritusandprotocolsformanagementinadultandpaediatricpatientsusingthegradeclassification
AT claraupson reviewoftherapeuticagentsforburnspruritusandprotocolsformanagementinadultandpaediatricpatientsusingthegradeclassification
AT patriciamrichardson reviewoftherapeuticagentsforburnspruritusandprotocolsformanagementinadultandpaediatricpatientsusingthegradeclassification
AT sudipjghosh reviewoftherapeuticagentsforburnspruritusandprotocolsformanagementinadultandpaediatricpatientsusingthegradeclassification