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Validity assessment of the 10-Item Pruritus Severity Scale
Affiliations- Zakład i Klinika Dermatologii, Szopena 2, 35-055 Rzeszów, Poland
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Abstract
Introduction: A validated assessment of pruritus intensity is an important but still difficult clinical problem due to a subjective nature of this sensation. The aim of this study was the assessment of the reliability of a new 10-item Pruritus Severity Scale (10-PSS) developed based on the 12-Item Pruritus Severity Scale (12-PSS).
Material and methods: A total of 148 patients with pruritic dermatoses were asked to assess pruritus intensity using the 10-PSS and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). In addition, 109 patients were also asked to complete the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Test-retest comparison was conducted in 33 subjects who completed the 10-PSS twice with the 3- to 5-day interval. All results were analyzed statistically.
Results: We have created the new itch questionnaire (10-PSS) assessing pruritus intensity (two questions), pruritus extent (one question) and duration (one question), influence of pruritus on concentration and patient psyche (four questions), and scratching as a response to pruritus stimuli (two questions). The results showed strong internal consistency of 10-PSS (Cronbach α coefficient 0.81). A significant correlation was observed with VAS (r = 0.61, p < 0.001) and quality of life level according to DLQI (r = 0.46, p <0.001). The test-retest comparison in 33 subjects revealed a good reproducibility of achieved results (ICC = 0.81).
Conclusions: The 12-PSS and its shorter 10-item version are reliable methods of severity pruritus assessment and both may be used in daily practice and clinical studies.
Abstract
Introduction: A validated assessment of pruritus intensity is an important but still difficult clinical problem due to a subjective nature of this sensation. The aim of this study was the assessment of the reliability of a new 10-item Pruritus Severity Scale (10-PSS) developed based on the 12-Item Pruritus Severity Scale (12-PSS).
Material and methods: A total of 148 patients with pruritic dermatoses were asked to assess pruritus intensity using the 10-PSS and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). In addition, 109 patients were also asked to complete the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Test-retest comparison was conducted in 33 subjects who completed the 10-PSS twice with the 3- to 5-day interval. All results were analyzed statistically.
Results: We have created the new itch questionnaire (10-PSS) assessing pruritus intensity (two questions), pruritus extent (one question) and duration (one question), influence of pruritus on concentration and patient psyche (four questions), and scratching as a response to pruritus stimuli (two questions). The results showed strong internal consistency of 10-PSS (Cronbach α coefficient 0.81). A significant correlation was observed with VAS (r = 0.61, p < 0.001) and quality of life level according to DLQI (r = 0.46, p <0.001). The test-retest comparison in 33 subjects revealed a good reproducibility of achieved results (ICC = 0.81).
Conclusions: The 12-PSS and its shorter 10-item version are reliable methods of severity pruritus assessment and both may be used in daily practice and clinical studies.
Keywords
pruritus, disease severity, assessment
About this articleTitle
Validity assessment of the 10-Item Pruritus Severity Scale
Journal
Issue
Article type
Research paper
Pages
91-95
Published online
2018-09-03
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541
Article views/downloads
3159
Bibliographic record
Forum Dermatologicum 2018;4(3):91-95.
Keywords
pruritus
disease severity
assessment
Authors
Agnieszka Bożek
Adam Reich
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