Quality of life among post-liver transplant recipients at a private tertiary care hospital, in Islamabad Pakistan
Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Nursing (MScN)
Department
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan
Abstract
Liver transplantation is the choice of treatment for patients with the End Stage Liver Disease, as it can save and extend their lives. The aim of the transplant procedure is not only to ensure the survival of the patients, but also to help individuals regain the same health which they had before the occurrence of the disease. Moreover, it is also to achieve integrity between the psychological and physical health through functional efficacy of the transplanted graft. QoL is an emerging and new indicator of the transplantation treatment, and QoL assessment is used to evaluate the individual from multi-dimensional perspectives in order to assess the different contributing factors influencing their health. Aim This study aimed to measure the HRQoL of liver transplant recipients, following liver transplantation, and to identify the important factors associated with the post liver transplant QoL. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 182 post liver transplant recipients visiting the Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan. Detailed data on socio-demographics, post liver transplant QoL scores, co-morbid conditions, and psycho-social evaluation was collected. Multiple linear regression was done for analysis, as the outcome variable, QoL, was on a continuous scale. For the continuous variable mean with the standard deviation, and for the categorical data frequencies with the percentages was reported. Means with standard deviation were calculated for continuous variables. For categorical variables, frequencies with percentages were reported. 13 coefficients with 95% C.I were accounted for critical affiliations. Findings A total of 182 post liver transplant recipients, with a median age 47 (IQR 14) participated in the current study. The majorities of the participants (80.77%) were male, permanently employed (34.62%), and belonged to the middle socio-economic group (40.11%). About 144 (79.12%) of the transplant recipients had no symptoms of depression, and around 92% reported having good social support. The median QoL score of the post liver transplant participants was 200.5 (IQR 35), as assessed by the disease specific post liver transplant QoL questionnaire. The results show that the level of depression, co-morbid conditions, more than one transplant indication, and low social support negatively impacts the QoL of the post liver transplant recipients. However, decrease in age has a positive association with the QoL, as evident from the multiple linear regression analysis. Conclusion: The current study identified some of the important factors that were associated with the QoL of the post liver transplant recipients. The findings of the current study suggest the need for the development of some new and more innovative strategies, so that the patients, after the liver transplant procedure, can resume their normal lives and have the health which they possessed before the occurrence of the disease.
Recommended Citation
Batool, S. (2017). Quality of life among post-liver transplant recipients at a private tertiary care hospital, in Islamabad Pakistan (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.