Health-related quality of life in lung transplant candidates and recipients.
BACKGROUND
Studies on the health-related quality of life in lung transplantation have used general questionnaires, although lung-specific instruments might be more sensitive to small differences.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the health-related quality of life of lung transplant recipients with lung transplant candidates, using lung-specific and general instruments, and to assess the reliability and validity of these questionnaires.


METHODS
The study is a cross-sectional postal survey of 31 lung transplant recipients and 15 candidates, using the following outcome measures: St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), a lung-specific health status instrument; the Short Form 36 (SF-36), a general measure, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD).


RESULTS
The SGRQ showed a significantly better score (p < 0.05) for transplant recipients in the impacts and activity dimensions and the total score than for candidates. SF-36 scores showed a similar improvement in all subscales of the SF-36 except bodily pain. Cronbach's alpha for all dimensions of the SGRQ, SF-36, and HAD were 0.77-0.95.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients surviving lung transplantations can expect a considerable improvement in most dimensions of health-related quality of life. This finding was consistent using both lung-specific and general measures. The reliability of the questionnaires was acceptable. The associations between scales support the validity of the questionnaires in this setting.
Stavem
K
K
Department of Thoracic Medicine, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. knut.stavem@kinmed.uio.no
Bjørtuft
O
O
Lund
M B
MB
Kongshaug
K
K
Geiran
O
O
Boe
J
J
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000601:surgery; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000601:surgery; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000601:surgery; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires