title: Assessment of quality of life on home parenteral nutrition and after intestinal transplantation using treatment-specific questionnaires.
abstract: In order to investigate the quality of life on home parenteral nutrition and after intestinal transplantation using comparable questionnaires, the treatment-specific quality of life questionnaire for adult patients on home parenteral nutrition was adapted for intestinal transplant recipients. Both instruments were composed of 8 functional scales, 9 symptom scales, 3 global health status/quality of life scales and 2 single items. A preliminary cross-sectional study enrolling all the patients currently cared at the same hospital was carried out. Exclusion criteria were age ≥ 60 years and hospitalization at time of assessment. Thirty-three home parenteral nutrition patients (100% answered) and 22 intestinal transplant recipients (82% answered) were enrolled. Intestinal transplant recipients showed a better score in following scales: ability to holiday/travel (p < 0.001), fatigue (p = 0.022), gastrointestinal symptoms (p < 0.001), stoma management/bowel movements (p = 0.001) and global health status/quality of life (p = 0.012). A better score for ability to eat/drink (p = 0.070) and a worse score for sleep pattern (p = 0.100) after intestinal transplantation were also observed. The results of this preliminary study with specific instruments were consistent with the main expected improvement of the quality of life related to intestinal transplantation. Further studies in larger patient cohorts are required to confirm these data.
authors.affiliation: Center for Chronic Intestinal Failure, University of Bologna, Italy. loris.pironi@unibo.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pironi
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lauro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guidetti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Agostini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zanfi
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pinna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007422:Intestines / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D016331:Parenteral Nutrition, Home; D011788:Quality of Life; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome