title: Health-related quality of life of patients awaiting kidney and simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients undergoing kidney and simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplants are younger and fitter than the general dialysis population. Intuitively these patients might have better quality of life (QOL) than the general dialysis population, but their QOL scores are not well characterized. The aim of this study was to compare QOL of patients about to undergo kidney or SPK transplants with Australian dialysis outcomes and practice patterns (DOPPS) data and multiple comorbidity and age-adjusted general population data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients attending Westmead Hospital for transplants from August 2009 to December 2011 were invited to complete the Kidney Disease QOL-SF(™) 1.3 (KDQOL-SF(™) 1.3) questionnaire regarding their immediate pretransplant QOL. This QOL instrument is predictive of hospitalizations and mortality. The questionnaire was completed within 4 weeks of transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 180 patients seen within 4 weeks of transplantation 95 (53%) responded, with no differences from non-responders in age, sex, comorbidities or perioperative complications. Compared with DOPPS, these patients had better physical function and less pain, but significantly lower scores for role physical (CI: -19 to -4, P=0.004) and role emotional (CI: -17 to -2, P=0.018). Patients undergoing SPK transplants reported even poorer general health, energy, social support and function. Patients had lower emotional and social function than people with multiple comorbidities, with whom they shared poor general and mental health and vitality. Scores were markedly lower than the general population except for bodily pain (female).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Younger, fitter patients are more vulnerable to effects of their illness on social, emotional and physical interactions and may benefit from targeted support.
authors.affiliation: Department of Renal Medicine, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Thida M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Myint
authors.forename: Denise V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: O'Shaughnessy
authors.forename: Samual
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Mirna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vucak-Dzumhur
authors.forename: Grahame J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Elder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life
keywords: dialysis; dialysis outcomes and practice patterns (DOPPS); health-related quality of life; kidney transplantation; simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation