Quality of life in trauma victims six months after hospital discharge.
OBJECTIVE
Trauma is the third most important cause of death in Brazil. However, its impact on survivors' quality of life has been scarcely studied in this country. This study aimed to assess trauma victims' quality of life, cared for in an emergency hospital unit, six months after discharge.


METHODS
A total of 35 patients from the emergency unit of a university hospital in the city of Ribeirão Preto, Southeastern Brazil, were included in this study, between 2005 and 2006. Patients were interviewed in their homes, six months after hospital discharge. The short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument was applied to assess the physical, psychological, social relationships, and environmental domains. Associations between domain scores and hospital stay, age, sex and Injury Severity Score variables were analyzed with linear regression models.


RESULTS
Significant reduction in quality of life was found in the group studied, when compared to samples of normal people in national and international studies, especially as regards the physical, psychological, and environmental domains. The social relationships domain revealed the highest mean scores, with 69.7 points, whereas the environmental domain received the lowest score (52.4 points), both on the percentage scale. Variables associated with the physical domain were hospital stay (p=0.02), age (p<0.01) and sex (p=0.03). The analysis did not show association with the variables studied for the remaining domains.


CONCLUSIONS
Trauma victims showed a reduction in quality of life scores. Even though the physical aspect was the most affected, there is evidence that the psychological and environmental domains remained far from the ideal conditions expected for the general population.
Alves
Ana Laura A
AL
Curso de Graduação em Terapia Ocupacional, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
Salim
Francine M
FM
Martinez
Edson Zangiacomi
EZ
Passos
Afonso Dinis Costa
AD
De Carlo
Marysia Mara Rodrigues Prado
MM
Scarpelini
Sandro
S
D000328:Adult; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014944:World Health Organization; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation