title: Subjective quality of life assessment in hemodialysis patients at different levels of hemoglobin following use of recombinant human erythropoietin.
abstract: The quality of life of 12 hemodialysis (HD) patients was assessed in a prospective, blinded, cross-over fashion before treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) and at two different levels of hemoglobin (Hb, 9 and 12 g/dl) by means of an interviewer-based questionnaire, the sickness impact profile (SIP). Patients were matched into two groups with no significant difference for age, weight, Hb (6.3 +/- 0.5, mean +/- SEM, group A, vs. 6.4 +/- 0.9 group B), length of hemodialysis or number of years of prior transplantation. SIP was assessed prior to treatment, after reaching the first target Hb (Hb 9 g/dl group A, 12 g/dl group B), after 4 months at that target Hb and after 4 months at the alternative target Hb for each group. For all patients, there was a highly significant improvement in quality of life as assessed by lower SIP scores between the initial and second assessments. This was evident for the physical (8.9 +/- 1.4 vs. 2.8 +/- 1.0; p less than 0.001) and psychosocial (14.9 +/- 3.9 vs. 4.4 +/- 1.1; p less than 0.01) dimensions. Total scores (16.3 +/- 2.4 vs. 5.7 +/- 0.9; p less than 0.001) showed similar changes, reflecting significant improvement in 10 of 12 possible categories between the first two assessments (p less than 0.05 to p less than 0.001). Improved scores were maintained but did not change appreciably after the 2nd assessment. There was no significant difference in any score (category, dimensional or total) obtained after 4 months at Hb 9 g/dl compared to those after the same period at Hb 12 g/dl.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Dawborn
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin