HYDROXYETHYLSTARCH-RELATED PRURITUS - A PROSPECTIVE MULTICENTER INVESTIGATION OF 544 PATIENTS

Objective: Quantification of the incidence of pruritus after hydroxyet hylstarch infusion therapy, identification of potential predictors. De sign and Setting: Prospective multicentre study at two departments of otorhinolaryngology and at one department of general surgery, vascular surgery, anaesthesia and internal medicine - angiology, respectively, Patients: 497 patients with different indications (haemodilution, vol ume substitution) for hydroxyethylstarch infusions (intervention group ), 47 with comparable primary diseases without hydroxyethylstarch appl ication (control group), Interventions: Hydroxyethylstarch infusion th erapy according to local standard, Recording of pruritus symptoms and potential predictors before, during and after hydroxyethylstarch infus ion therapy or alternative treatment (control group). Observation peri od 3-9 weeks after end of therapy, Results: Incidence of pruritus afte r hydroxyethylstarch therapy in 5 cases. In all cases, otologic primar y disease. Within the otologic patient population, relation between pr uritus risk and amount of infused hydroxyethylstarch. In the control g roup, incidence of pruritus after therpay in 2 cases. Conclusions: The re is no elevated pruritus risk for the administration of hydroxyethyl starch in usual doses in a wide range of indications in internal medic ine, surgery and anaesthesia, For reasons unclear so far, incidence of pruritus in the treatment of otologic diseases is increased. Because of the observed dose-risk relation, a maximum total hydroxyethylstarch dosage of 300 g in regimens with daily infusions is recommended.