Health related quality of life six months following surgical treatment for secondary peritonitis--using the EQ-5D questionnaire.
BACKGROUND
To compare health related quality of life (HR-QoL) in patients surgically treated for secondary peritonitis to that of a healthy population. And to prospectively identify factors associated with poorer (lower) HR-QoL.


METHODS
A prospective cohort of secondary peritonitis patients was mailed the EQ-5D and EQ-VAS 6-months following initial laparotomy.


METHODS
Multicenter study in two academic and seven regional teaching hospitals.


METHODS
130 of the 155 eligible patients (84%) responded to the HR-QoL questionnaires.


RESULTS
HR-QoL was significantly worse on all dimensions in peritonitis patients than in a healthy reference population. Peritonitis characteristics at initial presentation were not associated with HR-QoL at six months. A more complicated course of the disease leading to longer hospitalization times and patients with an enterostomy had a negative impact on the mobility (p = 0.02), self-care (p < 0.001) and daily activities: (p = 0.01). In a multivariate analysis for the EQ-VAS every doubling of hospital stay decreases the EQ-VAS by 3.8 points (p = 0.015). Morbidity during the six-month follow-up was not found to be predictive for the EQ-5D or EQ-VAS.


CONCLUSIONS
Six months following initial surgery, patients with secondary peritonitis report more problems in HR-QoL than a healthy reference population. Unfavorable disease characteristics at initial presentation were not predictive for poorer HR-QoL, but a more complicated course of the disease was most predictive of HR-QoL at 6 months.
Boer
Kimberly R
KR
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. k.r.boer@amc.nl
van Ruler
Oddeke
O
Reitsma
Johannes B
JB
Mahler
Cecilia W
CW
Opmeer
Brent C
BC
Reuland
E Ascelijn
EA
Gooszen
Hein G
HG
de Graaf
Peter W
PW
Hesselink
Eric J
EJ
Gerhards
Michael F
MF
Steller
E Philip
EP
Sprangers
Mirjam A
MA
Boermeester
Marja A
MA
De Borgie
Corianne A
CA
D018806:APACHE; D000368:Aged; D004766:Enterostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009426:Netherlands; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012086:Reoperation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires