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INTRODUCTION: A better understanding of factors influencing perceived life expectancy (PLE), interactions between patient prognostic beliefs, experiences of illness, and treatment behavior is urgently needed. METHODS: Case-notes at 3 hemodialysis units were screened: patients with ≥20% 1-year mortality risk were included. Patients and their health care professionals (HCPs) were invited to complete a structured interview or mixed-methods questionnaire. Four hundred eleven patient notes were screened. Seventy-seven eligible patients were approached and 51 were included. RESULTS: Patients predicted significantly higher life expectancies than HCPs (P < 0.0001). Documented cognitive impairment, gender, or increasing age did not affect 1- or 5-year PLE. PLE influenced priorities of care: one-fifth of patients who estimated themselves to have >95% 1-year survival preferred "care focusing on relieving pain and discomfort," compared with nearly three-quarters of those reporting a ≤50% chance of 1-year survival. Twenty of 51 (39%) patients believed transplantation was an option for them, despite only 4 being waitlisted at the time of the interview. Patients who thought they were transplant candidates were significantly more confident they would be alive at 1 and 5 years and to want resuscitation attempted. Cognitive impairment had no effect on perceived transplant candidacy. A high symptom burden was present and underrecognized by HCPs. High symptom burden was associated with significantly lower PLE at both 1 and 5 years, increased anxiety/depression scores, and treatment choices more likely to prioritize relief of suffering. CONCLUSION: There is a disparity between patient PLE and those of their HCPs. Severity of symptom burden and beliefs regarding PLE or transplant candidacy affect patient treatment preferences.
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CONTEXT: Paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose is a common reason for emergency hospital admission in the UK and the leading cause of acute liver failure in the Western world. Currently, the antidote acetylcysteine (NAC) is administered at a dose determined only by body weight without regard for the body burden of paracetamol. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether higher plasma paracetamol concentrations are associated with increased risk of liver injury despite prompt treatment with intravenous NAC. METHODS: Patients admitted to hospital for treatment with intravenous NAC following a single acute paracetamol overdose entered the study if NAC was commenced within 24 h of drug ingestion (N = 727 hospital presentations). Based on the plasma paracetamol concentration at first presentation to hospital, a series of nomograms were created: 0-100, 101-150, 151-200, 201-300, 301-500 and over 501 mg/L. The primary endpoints were acute liver injury (ALI - peak serum ALT activity >150 U/L and double the admission value) and hepatotoxicity (peak ALT >1000 U/L). RESULTS: ALI and hepatotoxicity were more common in patients with higher admission plasma paracetamol concentrations despite NAC treatment (ALI: nomogram 0-100: 6%, 101-150: 3%, 151-200: 3%, 201-300: 9%, 301-500: 13%, over 501 mg/dL: 27%. p < 0.0001). This dose-response relationship between paracetamol concentration and ALI persisted even in patients treated with NAC within 8 h of overdose (nomogram 0-100: 0%, 101-150: 0.8%, 151-200: 2%, 201-300: 3.6%, 301-500: 12.5%, over 501mg/L: 33%. p < 0.0001) and in patients with normal ALT activity at first presentation (nomogram: 0-100: 0%, 101-150: 1.2%, 151-200: 1.5%, 201-300: 5.3%, 301-500: 10.8% p < 0.0001). DISCUSSION: Patients with increased concentrations of plasma paracetamol at hospital presentation are at higher risk of liver injury even when intravenous NAC is promptly administered before there is biochemical evidence of toxicity. CONCLUSION: This study supports theoretical concerns that the current intravenous dose of NAC may be too low in the setting of higher paracetamol exposure.