RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Pharmacokinetics of nalbu i n

Uremic pruritus is an itch disorder associated with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) that can be severe and debilitat-underlying renal disease [3,4]. Among the factors causing pruritus in ESRD patients are accumulation of uremic Hawi et al. BMC Nephrology (2015) 16:47 DOI 10.1186/s12882-015-0043-3USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the articleing. In its most severe form, uremic pruritus is associated with significant deleterious impairments of patient quality of life, including depression and disruption of sleep [1,2]. A 17 % increase in mortality rate (p < 0.001), attributed to sleep disturbances, is associated with moderate to severe pruritus [2,3]. Uremic pruritus is independent of gender, toxins, systemic inflammation, cutaneous xerosis, and common comorbidities, e.g. diabetes mellitus and viral hepatitis (4). Currently, there are no approved treatments in the United States or Europe. Uremic pruritus is typically treated with creams, antihistamines, ultraviolet radiation, and the off-label use of various drugs, including opioids, with limited success [4-6]. To date, uremic pruritus re-mains an unresolved problem with renal transplantatio