Assessment of fatigue using the Identity-Consequence Fatigue Scale in patients with lung cancer

Abstract

Objective:To evaluate the properties of the Identity-Consequence Fatigue Scale (ICFS) in patients with lung cancer (LC), assessing the intensity of fatigue and associated factors. Methods:This was a cross-sectional study involving LC patients, treated at a teaching hospital in Brazil, who completed the ICFS. Patients with chronic heart disease (CHD) and healthy controls, matched for age and gender, also completed the scale. Initially, a Brazilian Portuguese-language version of the ICFS was administered to 50 LC patients by two independent interviewers; to test for reproducibility, it was readministered to those same patients. At baseline, the LC patients were submitted to spirometry and the six-minute walk test, as well as completing the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Inflammatory status was assessed by blood C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. To validate the ICFS, we assessed the correlations of its scores with those variables. Results:The sample comprised 50 patients in each group (LC, CHD, and control). In the LC group, the intraclass correlation coefficients for intra-rater and inter-rater reliability regarding ICFS summary variables ranged from 0.94 to 0.76 and from 0.94 to 0.79, respectively. The ICFS presented excellent internal consistency, and Bland-Altman plots showed good test-retest reliability. The ICFS correlated significantly with FSS, HADS, and SF-36 scores, as well as with CRP levels. Mean ICFS scores in the LC group differed significantly from those in the CHD and control groups. Conclusions:The ICFS is a valid, reliable instrument for evaluating LC patients, in whom depression, quality of life, and CRP levels seem to be significantly associated with fatigue.

Symptom clusters in patients with lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy

“…19 Nowicki et al found that patients with lung cancer had a moderate level of general fatigue in their study; Nogueira et al reported high levels of fatigue in their study. 18,20 Our results are similar to those in the literature. Patients should be informed about how to use energy-saving techniques in managing their fatigue, and the use of Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) may be recommended in anemic patients.…”

Creation and Validation of a Sports Vocational Guidance Protocol *#

“…In a study with similar methodology, Nogueira, Araújo, Morano, Cavalcante, Bruin and Paddison [34] assessed intra and interrater reliability. When applying their instrument, they divided actions into two moments: V1 ( rst visit), and V2 (second visit, one week later), using the same statistical analysis as this study.…”

Características da fadiga no pré e pós-operatórios de cirurgia de revascularização do miocárdio

“…Os autores responsáveis pelo desenvolvimento desta escala referem que o ICFS possui uma estrutura clara e estável que oferece uma avaliação mais abrangente de fadiga em relação a outros instrumentos que avaliam a fadiga pós-cirúrgica (43) . Foi utilizado para avaliar a fadiga em pacientes com DAC, mas apenas recententemente foi validado para uso no Brasil (44) .…”