ABSTRACT
Survivors of burn injury often experience itch at wound sites with an intensity and duration sufficient to affect their rehabilitation and quality of life postdischarge. Although itch at these sites has been recognized as a significant problem for several decades, the mechanistic components of this symptom remain to be determined, and a reliable therapy has yet to be found. Antihistamine and moisturizing lotions are currently the therapies of choice for postburn itch, although only a minority of survivors obtain full relief from their use. Here we present brief reviews of the incidence, severity, and duration of postburn itch, and of therapies in use or tested to relieve this symptom. Also included are descriptions of several recent studies that demonstrate the efficacy of a novel antihistamine preparation and provide new information on mechanistic aspects of postburn itch.
