engleski

Determination of health-related quality of life in patients with chronic liver disease

Aims: The study aim was to assess the influence of severity of liver cirrhosis in the determination of health-related quality of life (HrQoL) measured by a generic and liver-specific instrument in unselected cirrhotic patients. Methods: 74 patients with all stages of liver cirrhosis (Child-Pugh score) attending a tertiary-care center completed the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36)as a generic core and 10 disease-targeted multi item subscale (DisTarSc) modified for liver cirrhotic patients as disease specific HrQoL instrument. The SF-36 includes multi item scale that assesses eight health concepts: general health perception, physical and emotional limitations, mental health, social functioning, bodily pain, vitality, limitations in usual role activities because of physial health problems. Higher score of SF-36 indicate better quality of life. Disease-targeted subscales included liver disease-related symptoms, liver disease-related effects on activities of daily living such as concetrations, memory, sleep, quality of social interactions, self-perception stigma of liver disease and sexual functioning. Higher score of DisTarSc indicate poorer quality of life. Results: All domains of HrQoL, except pain and vitality in Child A were altered in cirrhosis (by 9-42%), mainly in younger patients. There were minor differences in relation to gender, whereas etiology had no effects. Severity of disase (Child-Pugh score) was the factor most closely associated with poor health status perception. Self-rating of disease progression was associated with ascites and pruritus. Most areas of daily life were affected by perceived health problems ; this is the mainly true for paid employment and sex life in men and home life and social life in women. Conclusion: Severity of liver cirrhosis is significantly associated with HrQoL measured by SF-36 and DisTarSc.

SF-36; Health-related qualitity of life; Liver cirrhosis

nije evidentirano