title: A qualitative study exploring patients perceived quality of life following an emergency liver transplant for acute liver failure.
abstract: Liver transplantation is now an accepted and successful therapy for both acute and chronic liver diseases. Whilst the study of health related quality of life (HRQoL) post-transplantation for chronic liver disease (CLD) has been well documented, there is little data measuring HRQoL following liver transplantation for acute liver failure (ALF), despite super urgent transplantation constituting 16.6% of all United Kingdom liver transplantation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to document the HRQoL in patients who have received an emergency liver transplant for ALF. Data collection employed between method triangulation, using the Short Form 36 quality of life health questionnaire for both ALF (n=47) and CLD (n=49), and six semi-structured interviews. Only the qualitative element of the study is reported here. Phenomenological analysis of the semi-structured interviews identified four themes relating to the physical changes encountered (inactivity), physical recovery (health transition); changes made to the transplant recipients life styles (modification); and outlook. The majority of transplanted ALF transplant recipients' stated that they have a good quality of life, which was often comparable to their pretransplantation lifestyle. However, the initial recovery process was often difficult and was related to the physical changes instigated from their multi-organ failure and intensive care stay, which can present numerous physical and emotional challenges.
authors.affiliation: Hepatology, Institute of Liver Studies, Kings College Hospital, London SE5 9RS, United Kingdom. suzanne.sargent@kingsch.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sargent
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Wainwright
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004630:Emergencies / Q000523:psychology; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009042:Motivation; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom