Prevalence and impact of pain on the quality of life of lung transplant recipients: a prospective observational study.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence and impact of pain on the quality of life (QOL) of lung transplant recipients.


METHODS
Prospective, observational, cross-sectional study. Ninety-six lung transplant recipients (> 3 months after transplantation) completed questionnaires measuring the severity and impact of pain (Brief Pain Inventory), anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory), QOL (Short Form-36 version 2 [SF-36v2]), and depression (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]).


METHODS
University medical center lung transplant outpatient clinic.


RESULTS
The prevalence of pain in lung transplant recipients was 49%. Patients with pain were older, more likely to have undergone unilateral lung transplantation (64% vs 40%, p = 0.03), and were more likely to have lung emphysema (55% vs 38%, p = 0.004). Only a pulmonary diagnosis of lung emphysema remained an independent predictor for postoperative pain in a logistic regression model. Average (+/- SD) score of the BDI was 9.6 +/- 7.8 and 5.8 +/- 5.8 (p = 0.005) for patients with and without pain, respectively. Patients with and without pain did not significantly differ in terms of anxiety. Pain-free patients had a significantly higher physical component score than patients with pain in the SF-36v2 (mean, 48.7 +/- 8.6 vs 38.6 +/- 9.8, p < 0.0001, respectively), while the mental component scores were not statistically different between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Lung transplant recipients have a high prevalence of pain. Patients with lung emphysema as their preoperative diagnosis are more likely to have pain. The occurrence of pain is associated with a decreased QOL in lung transplant recipients.
Girard
François
F
Department of Anesthesiology, CHUM Hopital Notre-Dame, Montreal, Canada, H2L 4M1. francois.girard.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Chouinard
Philippe
P
Boudreault
Daniel
D
Poirier
Charles
C
Richard
Chloé
C
Ruel
Monique
M
Ferraro
Pasquale
P
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014180:Transplantation / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology