[Evaluation of quality of life in patients with liver transplant]. / Evaluación de la calidad de vida en pacientes con trasplante hepático.

BACKGROUND: Complications in patients with liver transplant may occur in less than 10 % of cases. These appear in short and/or long term and are due to a vascular or biliary cause, rejection, recurrence of the disease or adverse effects of immunosuppression, among others, which may affect the quality of life. The aim of this article is to evaluate the quality of life in patients with deceased donor liver transplantation through the questionnaire SF-36. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study. The quality of life of patients with deceased donor liver transplantation was assessed during the period from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2012. The variables evaluated were: age, sex, time and main reason for transplantation and quality of life using the short form SF-36 version 1.1 for Mexican population. RESULTS: 37 patients were included. The mean age was 48.7 years. The most frequent cause was cirrhosis (n = 35). The highest average score corresponded to the mental health component, and the lowest score to the physical component. The average time of liver transplantation was 6.73 ± 3.53 years. CONCLUSIONS: Liver transplantation is still the most effective treatment for end-stage liver disease. It can increase the patient's life expectancy and their quality of life, assessed with the SF-36 questionnaire. The results were similar to those in other studies in both the physical and mental component.

Introducción: los pacientes con trasplante hepático pueden presentar complicaciones en menos del 10 % de los casos. Las complicaciones a corto y/o largo plazo son de origen vascular, biliar, de rechazo, recidiva de la enfermedad y efectos adversos de la inmunosupresión, entre otros, lo que puede repercutir en la calidad de vida. El objetivo de este artículo es evaluar la calidad de vida de los pacientes con trasplante hepático de donante fallecido mediante el cuestionario de salud formato corto-36 (SF-36). Métodos: estudio transversal analítico. Se evaluó la calidad de vida de los pacientes con trasplantes hepáticos de donante fallecido, realizados del 1 de enero de 2005 al 31 de diciembre de 2012. Variables de estudio: edad, sexo, tiempo de trasplante, motivo de trasplante y calidad de vida a través del formato corto SF-36 versión 1.1 para población mexicana. Resultados: se incluyeron 37 pacientes. Edad promedio, 48.7 años. Etiología más frecuente, cirrosis (n = 35). La calificación del SF-36 promedio más alta correspondió al componente de salud mental, y la más baja al componente de salud físico. El promedio de tiempo del postrasplante hepático fue de 6.73 ± 3.53 años. Conclusiones: el trasplante hepático es el único tratamiento eficaz para la enfermedad hepática terminal que logra incrementar la expectativa y calidad de vida. Los resultados del SF-36 fueron similares a otros estudios tanto en el componente físico y mental.

Long-term outcome after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in geriatric Mexican patients.

AIM: To evaluate long-term survival and prognostic factors in elderly Mexican patients who have undergone percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). METHODS: The present study was a retrospective cohort analysis of 110 patients aged older than 70 years without head and neck malignancy who underwent PEG between January 2005 and December 2012. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for demographic and clinical variables, and survival was determined by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Medium age and follow up were 82.45 ± 6.6 years and 688.3 ± 394.6 days, respectively. The patients who died in the early postoperative period (n = 6) were older than those who survived. The Karnofsky performance status and lymphocyte count were non-significantly lower in non-survivors. The body mass index and serum albumin level were lower in non-survivors (P = 0.03 and 0.01, respectively) and Charlson's Comorbidity Index (CCI) was higher. A total of 32 (29%) patients died later in the postoperative period with a mean follow up of 436.2 ± 267.4 days. Risk factors for mortality included Karnofsky Performance Status (odds ratio [OR] 9.76, 95% CI: 3.26-29.3), CCI (OR 7.04, 95% CI: 2.31-21.41) and postoperative hypoalbuminemia (OR 3.45, 95% CI: 1.71-6.67). Postgastrostomy pneumonia occurred in 36.8% of the patients who died during follow-up (OR 0.28, 95% CI: 0.6-1.26). CONCLUSIONS: Karnofsky performance status, Charlson's comorbidity index and postoperative hypoalbuminemia, were independent risk factors for mortality. Modifiable factors are related to nutritional support. Early PEG may help prevent malnutrition and infection.