title: [Evaluation of quality of life by improving the uraemic anaemia status].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anaemia is one of the most common signs of chronic uraemia that determines an increase in both morbidity and mortality, as well as a deterioration in the quality of life of affected patients. We evaluated the impact of the application of the European Best Practice Anaemia Guidelines to the quality of life of dialysed patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied for 12 months (from December 2000 to November 2001) 62 patients in haemodialysis and 22 patients in peritoneal dialysis. For the statistical analysis the following parameters were examined: haemoglobin levels, TSAT, and weekly doses of Epo. To assess the quality of life we asked the patients, at the initial visit and 12 months after treatment, to fill out the "Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 items Heath Survey" and "Kidney Disease Quality of Life".
  
  
  RESULTS
  The significant increase in TSAT levels attained in haemodialysed patients (p = 0.03) induced an increase in haemoglobin levels and consequent reduction in EPO administration (p = 0.04). During the study, a significant improvement in General Health (GH) (p = 0.03) was observed. At the end of the treatment, Physical Functioning (PF) (p = 0.04), Role and Physical Health (RP) (p = 0.02) and Social Functioning (SF) (p = 0.005) showed significant variations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The application of the European Best Practice Anaemia Guidelines improves the management of anaemia and the Global Health Assessment in uraemic patients. These data demonstrate how inappropriate anaemia management can negatively affect the quality of life of these patients and increase the medical costs.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Emergenza Trapianti D'Organo, DETO, Divisione di Nefrologia, Universita' degli Studi di Bari-Policlinico, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stallone
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angelini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cataldi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pallotta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sacchetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pertosa
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Schena
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gesualdo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014511:Uremia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*