Fatigue and its associated factors in liver transplant recipients in Beijing: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

ObjectivesFatigue is a highly prevalent symptom experienced by patients who underwent the liver transplantation. However, the influencing factors of fatigue are poorly understood by healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to examine the intensity, interference, duration and prevalence of fatigue in liver transplantation recipients and to explore the influencing factors of post-transplantation fatigue.DesignA cross-sectional design was used in this study.MethodsA convenience sample of liver transplant recipients was recruited at an outpatient transplant clinic of a general hospital in Beijing, China. Self-report survey data were provided by liver transplant recipients using the Fatigue Symptom Inventory (FSI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Demographic, clinical and psychosocial parameters were evaluated as fatigue influencing factors.ResultsParticipants (n=285) included 69 women and 216 men. Fatigue was found in 87.0% of liver transplant recipients. Mean scores of fatigue intensity items were 4.47±2.85, 1.93±1.97, 3.15±2.13 and 2.73±2.42 (most fatigue, least fatigue, average fatigue in the week prior to assessment and fatigue at the point of assessment). The mean score of fatigue interference was 2.27±2.09.The number of days fatigued in the week prior to assessment was 2.26±2.02 and the amount of time fatigued each day was 2.75±2.44. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that fatigue intensity was positively associated with anxiety, depression and insomnia (p<0.001 for all), while fatigue interference was positively associated with gender, anxiety, depression and insomnia (p<0.05 for all). In the multiple linear regression analysis, anxiety and insomnia were positively associated with fatigue intensity (p<0.001), and insomnia, depression and anxiety were positively associated with fatigue interference (p<0.001).ConclusionsFatigue is common in liver transplant recipients, and it is strongly associated with insomnia, anxiety and depression.

A Correlative Study on Social Support and Quality of Life in Patients After Adult Liver Transplantation

“…Besides, researches showing that patients with liver transplantation are prone to fatigue, insomnia and other conditions after surgery and recipients with higher social support have a lower risk of insomnia [18,19]. Gangeri L and colleagues [20] explored the correlation of the quality of survival in liver transplant recipients and social support, the results showed that subjective support, objective support and survival were signi cantly and positively related to quality of life; Besides, Support utilization was positively correlated with psychological, social relationships, suggesting that medical personnel should pay attention to the impact of social support systems on the quality of survival to improve the quality of survival.…”

Fatigue and Physiotherapy In Liver Transplant Recipients Fatigue and Physiotherapy

“…Cholestasis causes degenerative central nervous system changes adversely affecting the brain regions which regulates autonomic dysfunction and sleep pattern. These changes lead to many symptoms of fatigue and associated cognitive disorders (2). Besides, autonomic dysfunction contributes to these metabolic changes by limiting the reaction capacity of the muscle to increase in proton/lactate current from the cell and its excretion from tissues (23).…”

“…Transplantation surgery is considered to be the best liver replacement therapy and a life-saving treatment option for life-threatening end-stage liver failure (1). Although the liver function and survival are improved after transplantation; surgical stress response, physical and psychological problems due to the pathology affect the quality of life negatively (1,2). Many recent studies have focused on the relationship between health-related quality of life and the success rate of transplantation procedure states that transplantation surgery decreases scores representing physical activity parameters of quality of life.…”

Journals retract 15 Chinese transplantation studies over executed prisoner concerns

“…The BMJ is investigating three articles in its journals that Rogers and colleagues identified as potentially documenting research involving unethically sourced organs in China: one in BMJ Open 8 and two in the Postgraduate Medical Journal 910…”