Assessment of quality of life and related stressors following liver transplantation.
The aim of this descriptive study was to identify and compare transplant-associated stressors among 30 adult liver transplant recipients following orthotopic transplantation for primary biliary cirrhosis. Recipients were divided in three groups according to length of time following transplantation: 12 months (group A), 1 to 5 years (group B), and 5 or more years (group C). With the use of a recipient stressor scale and a rating scale assessing health-related quality of live, patients were asked to indicate a degree of concern for 25 items. In addition, participants were asked to define quality of life before and after liver transplantation and to attribute a degree of positivity or negativity to 33 items in the subscales of physical health, physical activity, social activity, and general effect. Results from the stressor analysis identified health-related items, in particular the "possibility of rejection," as causing the greatest concern to respondents. Social and family-related items were considered least stressful. Comparative statistical analysis identified group B as significantly more stressed than either group A or group C.
Gubby
L
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Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, England.
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires