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Session Information
FOC U008
-
Novel Therapies to Treat Chronic Pruritus
Subject:
Date:
Friday, March 01
CME Credits:
1.50
Location:
Room B212/213
Time:
7:15 AM - 8:45 AM
Director:
Sarina Elmariah, MD - Handout
Learning Objectives:
Following this course, the attendee should be able to:
- Treat patients with neuromodulatory agents to reduce pruritus from primary cutaneous or systemic disease.
- Discuss the mechanisms of action, side effects, and efficacy of analgesic and antidepressant therapy for chronic pruritus.
- Identify patients who may benefit from neuromodulatory therapy for chronic pruritus.
Description:
Chronic pruritus, arising idiopathically or in association with
cutaneous or systemic disease, may be incapacitating. This
session is meant for the clinician who wants to expand his or her
armamentarium of therapeutic agents to treat this all-too-common
problem. The neurophysiologic and neurochemical basis of
chronic pruritus will be reviewed. The clinician will be introduced
to neuromodulatory agents that will help manage even the most
challenging cases of chronic itch. Therapeutic regimens will be
outlined and the safety, efficacy, and side effects of voltage-gated calcium channel blockers, serotonin and/or norepinephrine reuptake
inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, opioids and other
analgesics will be discussed.