en Clinical Efficacy of Topical <i>Avena sativa</i> Versus Betamethasone in Chronic Pruritus due to Sulfur Mustard Exposure فارماكوگنوزی و فارماسيوتيكس Pharmacognosy & Pharmaceutics پژوهشی Research <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background:</strong> <em>Avena sativa</em>, a well-known herbal medicine; has been used in various skin diseases such as eczema, burn and pruritus.<br> <strong>Objective:</strong> The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of this herbal medicine for treatment of chronic pruritus in Sulfur Mustard (SM) exposed patients.<br> <strong>Methods:</strong> Veterans who referred to Baghiat-Allah dermatologic clinic for itching problems were examined by a dermatologist and randomly assigned in three different groups. Group A received ointment derived from <em>Avena sativa</em> plant, group B, placebo and group C, betamethasone 0.1% cream twice a day for 4 weeks. Twenty five patients were included in each group. A visual analogue scale were used for assessment of severity of pruritus and 2 questionnaire for quality of life and quality of sleep were filled for each patient.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br> <strong>Results:</strong> Pruritus severity after the study by VAS method was significantly decreased in all the groups, but betamethasone group showed the largest decrease (-2.4, P<0.001). The average quality of life based on DLQI criteria and quality of sleep based on PSQI after the treatment showed the most significant difference in betamethasone group (3.52, P<0.001 and&nbsp; 0.96, P=0.001 respectively). Although <em>Avena sativa</em> showed significant effect on these criteria but it was only superior to placebo and not as effective as betamethasone.<br> &nbsp;<strong> Conclusion:</strong> The result demonstrated that <em>Avena sativa</em> ointment reduced chronic pruritus, increased quality of life and quality of sleep in patients exposed to SM but betamethasone was superior in all aspects.</div> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background:</strong> <em>Avena sativa</em>, a well-known herbal medicine; has been used in various skin diseases such as eczema, burn and pruritus.<br> <strong>Objective:</strong> The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of this herbal medicine for treatment of chronic pruritus in Sulfur Mustard (SM) exposed patients.<br> <strong>Methods:</strong> Veterans who referred to Baghiat-Allah dermatologic clinic for itching problems were examined by a dermatologist and randomly assigned in three different groups. Group A received ointment derived from <em>Avena sativa</em> plant, group B, placebo and group C, betamethasone 0.1% cream twice a day for 4 weeks. Twenty five patients were included in each group. A visual analogue scale were used for assessment of severity of pruritus and 2 questionnaire for quality of life and quality of sleep were filled for each patient.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br> <strong>Results:</strong> Pruritus severity after the study by VAS method was significantly decreased in all the groups, but betamethasone group showed the largest decrease (-2.4, P<0.001). The average quality of life based on DLQI criteria and quality of sleep based on PSQI after the treatment showed the most significant difference in betamethasone group (3.52, P<0.001 and&nbsp; 0.96, P=0.001 respectively). Although <em>Avena sativa</em> showed significant effect on these criteria but it was only superior to placebo and not as effective as betamethasone.<br> &nbsp;<strong> Conclusion:</strong> The result demonstrated that <em>Avena sativa</em> ointment reduced chronic pruritus, increased quality of life and quality of sleep in patients exposed to SM but betamethasone was superior in all aspects.</div> ,Avena sativa, Chronic pruritus, Sulfur mustard Avena sativa, Chronic pruritus, Sulfur mustard 68 77 http://jmp.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1678-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 M Shohrati مجید شهرتی shohratimajid@yahoo.com 100319475328460041311 100319475328460041311 Yes Research Center of Chemical Injuries, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran مرکز تحقیقات آسیب های شیمیایی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی بقیه اله (عج)، تهران، ایران M Davoudi سید مسعود داودی davoudi_sm@yahoo.com 100319475328460041312 100319475328460041312 No Department of Dermatology, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran گروه درماتولوژی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی بقیه اله (عج)، تهران، ایران Sh Rezazadeh شمسعلی رضازاده shrezazadeh@yahoo.com 100319475328460041313 100319475328460041313 No Medicinal Plants Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Karaj, Iran گروه پژوهشی فارماکوگنوزی و داروسازی مرکز تحقیقات گیاهان دارویی، پژوهشکده گیاهان دارویی جهاددانشگاهی، کرج، ایران B Najafian بیتا نجفیان bitanajafian@yahoo.com 100319475328460041314 100319475328460041314 No Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran بخش اطفال، دانشکده پزشکی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی بقیه اله (عج)، تهران، ایران