Results showed that 24-hour measures are more sensitive, that patients with end-stage renal disease and diabetes regardless of type experience significantly poorer function than do patients without diabetes, and that these values approach those associated with sudden cardiac death.
Improved quality of life and physical functioning among renal transplant recipients have been documented; however, little of the literature has addressed the effects of transplantation on family caregivers. The purpose of this exploratory descriptive study was to characterize the level of subjective burden, quality of life, and self-rated health of caregivers who assist family members prior to transplantation as well as at 6 months following. The study sample included 19 caregivers of 19 renal transplant recipients. In general, caregiver burden, quality of life, and self-rated health did not improve following patients' transplants. In addition, 9 of 19 family caregivers reported increased burden. Because much of healthcare is family-based and greater reliance on family support seems inevitable, further studies are needed to examine the impact of transplantation on the family as well as the impact of the family on patients' posttransplant outcomes.
Cardiac autonomic neuropathy arises in the presence of uremia and diabetes, with severe dysfunction seen when these conditions occur concomitantly. Improvement in cardiac autonomic function follows both kidney and kidney-pancreas transplantation with more pronounced improvement in the circadian measures. Therefore, circadian measures of 24-hr HRV could be used to monitor the restoration of cardiac autonomic function.
Improved quality of life and physical functioning among renal transplant recipients have been documented; however, little of the literature has addressed the effects of transplantation on family caregivers. The purpose of this exploratory descriptive study was to characterize the level of subjective burden, quality of life, and self-rated health of caregivers who assist family members prior to transplantation as well as at 6 months following. The study sample included 19 caregivers of 19 renal transplant recipients. In general, caregiver burden, quality of life, and self-rated health did not improve following patients' transplants. In addition, 9 of 19 family caregivers reported increased burden. Because much of healthcare is family-based and greater reliance on family support seems inevitable, further studies are needed to examine the impact of transplantation on the family as well as the impact of the family on patients' posttransplant outcomes.
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