title: Assessment of quality of life of patients with severe ischemia as a result of infrainguinal arterial occlusive disease.
abstract: The purpose of this cohort study was to assess the quality of life of patients with severe ischemia as a result of infrainguinal arterial occlusive disease. Spitzer's QL-INDEX was selected to measure quality of life at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months. On the basis of initial treatment, 61 patients were grouped as follows: IC (conservative, n = 31), IR (arterial reconstruction, n = 14), and IA (major amputation, n = 16). After 12 months of follow-up, 48 patients were similarly regrouped according to ultimate treatment as follows: UC (n = 19), UR (n = 9), and UA (n = 20). At 12 months the mean score was significantly higher than the baseline in IC (6.43 vs 3.84, p less than 0.0001) as well as IR (5.64 vs 3.57, p less than 0.01), but not in IA (4.43 vs 3.62). The QL-INDEX mean score was lower in UA than in UC (4.15 vs 6.58, p less than 0.01) or UR (4.15 vs 7.11, p less than 0.0001). The correlation between QL-INDEX and an arbitrary scale was also high (r = 0.726, p less than 0.001). In conclusion, quality of life of patients with limb ischemia can be confidently assessed, improves during the first year of follow-up if major amputation is avoided, and improves and is sustained by a functioning graft.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albers
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fratezi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Luccia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life