Systematic Nonpain Symptom Assessment and Management

Author(s):  
Hana Yu ◽  
Jennifer S. Scherer

Patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) suffer from a substantial burden of physical and emotional symptoms that adversely affect their health-related quality of life. Their number of symptoms when systematically evaluated is comparable to cancer patients. Overall symptom burden and severity are correlated directly with impaired quality of life and depression. Among the most frequent are fatigue, pain, pruritus, sleep disturbances and poor appetite. This chapter highlights one of the most common and troublesome of these symptoms affecting advanced CKD patients, particularly those with end-stage kidney disease: uremic pruritus. The epidemiology, pathophysiology, and current evidence-based treatments are discussed as a way to provide a practical guide for diagnosis and treatment. Lastly, areas for future research to improve symptom management in this growing, chronically ill population are identified.

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlijn Voorend ◽  
Mathijs Van Oevelen ◽  
Margot Nieberg ◽  
Yvette Meuleman ◽  
Casper Franssen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims Older patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk for a severe course of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and vulnerable to mental health problems. We aimed to investigate prevalence and associated patient (demographic and clinical) characteristics of mental wellbeing (health-related quality of life [HRQoL] and symptoms of depression and anxiety) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in older patients with advanced CKD. Method An ongoing Dutch multicentre prospective cohort study enrols patients of ≥70 years with an eGFR <20 mL/min/1.73m2 from October 2018 onward. With additional questionnaires during the pandemic (May-June 2020), disease-related concerns about COVID-19 and general anxiety symptoms were assessed cross-sectionally, and depressive symptoms, HRQoL, and emotional symptoms longitudinally. Results The 82 included patients had a median age of 77.5 years (inter-quartile range 73.9-82.1), 77% was male and none had tested positive for COVID-19. Cross-sectionally, 67% of the patients reported to be more anxious for COVID-19 because of their kidney disease, and 43% of the patients stated that their quality of life was reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Figure 1). Higher COVID-19-related stress was associated with a lower education level (p=0.036), and patients who reported to feel more down due to COVID-19 were more often female (p=0.020). Anxiety scores were higher among females compared to males (median 4.0 [IQR 3.0-9.0] versus 2.0 [0.0-6.0], p=0.020), and weakly associated to a decline in eGFR (correlation coefficient 0.197, p=0.023). Compared to pre-COVID-19, presence of depressive symptoms had increased (11% to 22%; p=0.022) and physical HRQoL declined (40.4±10.1 to 36.1±10.4, p<0.001). Mental HRQoL (50.3±9.6 to 50.4±9.9; p=0.913) and emotional symptoms remained similar. Males showed a greater decline in physical HRQoL (mean -5.3, SD 8.5) compared to females (mean -0.9, SD 5.7; p=0.039). Conclusion Our findings show that older patients with advanced CKD suffered from disease-related anxiety for COVID-19, increased depressive symptoms, and reduced physical HRQOL during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of the pandemic on this vulnerable patient group extends beyond increased mortality risk, and awareness of mental health problems during the pandemic is essential. More in-depth investigation on disease-related COVID-19 concerns and its implications for the CKD population is needed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athina Paschou ◽  
Dimitrios Damigos ◽  
Petros Skapinakis ◽  
Kostas Siamopoulos

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the burden and depression in spouses of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The interrelation between burden and depression in family caregivers has been pointed out by previous researches in several chronic diseases and researchers agree that they clearly go together and one cannot talk about one without considering the other. More particularly, in the present study, the caregiver burden, the depression, anxiety, and also health-related quality of life and demographic factors of spouses of patients with CKD were examined, using self-report questionnaires. Participants were 50 spouses of patients with CKD, 29 of whom were dialysis dependent and 21 were not dialysis dependent. Group differences were examined for participants. Results confirm the interrelation between caregiver burden and depression in spouses. The increased perceived burden related to higher levels of depression. Low levels of caregiver burden, depression, anxiety, and satisfactory quality of life were found in spouses, with no differences between them relevant to whether the patients were dialysis dependent or not. All the above parameters interrelated. Implications for the findings and future research directions are discussed.


Author(s):  
Pernilla Lagergren ◽  
Asif Johar ◽  
Helen Rosenlund ◽  
Lars Arnberg ◽  
Lena Haglund ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Esophagectomy for cancer is an extensive procedure often followed by severe complications. This study investigated whether patients with severe symptoms of reflux are more likely to have sleep disturbances and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQL) after esophagectomy. Methods This Swedish nationwide prospective cohort study encompassed all patients who had undergone esophagectomy for cancer between 2013 and 2018. One year after surgery, the patients responded to three questionnaires on reflux (EORTC QLQOG25), sleep disturbances (KSQ), and HRQL (EORTC QLQ-C30). Multivariable logistic regression provided odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for sleep disturbance/reduced HRQL between patients with and without reflux, adjusted for potential confounders. Results Among 241 esophagectomy patients, 66 (27%) reported severe reflux. Patients with reflux had an increased risk of sleep disturbances (OR 2.3, 95% CI: 1.3–4.3) compared to patients without reflux. More specifically, these patients were more likely to suffer from poor sleep quality (OR 4.9, 95% CI: 1.9–12.4). Patients with reflux and sleep disturbances reported reductions in global quality of life, role function, emotional function, social function, and more symptoms in all scales, except for dyspnea. Conclusions This study suggests that patients with severe symptoms of reflux after esophagectomy have an increased risk of sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality, which in turn are associated with reduced HRQL. Implications for Cancer Survivors Alleviating reflux after oesophageal cancer surgery is important, since this common symptom might reduce HRQL and well-being.


Author(s):  
Marina M. Schoemaker ◽  
Suzanne Houwen

Abstract Purpose of Review (1) To give an overview of what is currently known about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in three common and co-occurring developmental disorders: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and (2) to provide directions for future research. Recent Findings HRQoL is compromised in all three developmental disorders, affecting various domains of HRQoL. However, some domains are more affected than others depending on the nature of the core deficits of the disorder. Overall, parents’ rate HRQoL of their children lower than the children themselves. Children with ASD and ADHD with co-occurring disorders have lower HRQoL compared to those with singular disorders. Future studies in DCD are needed to investigate the effect of co-occurring disorder in this population. Summary Children with developmental disorders have lower HRQoL than typically developing children. Future research should focus on the effects of co-occurring disorders on HRQoL and on protective factors that may increase HRQoL. HRQoL should be a part of clinical assessment, as it reveals the areas in life children are struggling with that could be targeted during intervention.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0257981
Author(s):  
Jung-Hwa Ryu ◽  
Tai Yeon Koo ◽  
Han Ro ◽  
Jang-Hee Cho ◽  
Myung-Gyu Kim ◽  
...  

Renal functional deterioration is associated with physical and mental burdens for kidney transplant (KT) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. However, the change in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) over time in KT patients compared to that of native CKD patients has not been evaluated. We addressed this issue using KT patients registered in the KNOW-KT cohort study and patients at CKD stage 1–3 registered in the KNOW-CKD cohort study. HRQOL scores were assessed using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form at baseline, 2-, and 4-years follow-up in 842 KT patients and at baseline and 5-year follow-up in 1,355 CKD patients. SF-36 scores declined at the 4-year follow-up, whereas CKD-targeted scores showed no change in the KT group. In contrast, CKD-targeted scores as well as SF-36 scores were decreased at the 5-year follow-up in CKD patients. When prognostic factors were analyzed for longitudinal HRQOL data over time, renal functions, diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hemoglobin level, marital status, income, employment, and health care were significant prognostic factors. Furthermore, KT was an independent prognostic factor for better HRQOL. These results highlight that KT can offer a better HRQOL than that of CKD patients, even when renal function is similar.


Author(s):  
Nishantha Kumarasinghe

Background: The significant increase in the burden of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) of Sri Lanka has led to evaluate the factors related to physical, social and mental aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in CKDu patients. Methods: The quality of life of 84 CKDu patients (stages 1-5) were assessed by means of the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short-Form survey (KDQOL™-36) Version 1.3 along with biomarkers and patient demographics. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula. Results: KDQOL™-36 scores impaired substantially across all stages of CKDu and comparatively lower scores were present in later stages of the disease than the initial stages. The mental composite summary (MCS) scores were more impaired when compared to physical composite summary (PCS) scores during the early stage of the disease. Poor KDQOL™-36 scores were present in males than in females with a significant difference in MCS and social support scales. Biochemical parameters showed a significant correlation with the majority of KDQOL™-36 dimensions while urine albumin to creatinine ratio did not. Conclusion: CKDu patients in any stage of the disease despite their age and gender have a significant physical and mental health burden. Thereby, early assessment of health-related quality of life will help to identify high-risk patients, and modifying these factors may provide a better active and healthy lifestyle.


Author(s):  
Achsa Thomas ◽  
Julia S. Jacob ◽  
Merin Abraham ◽  
Blessy M. Thomas ◽  
Purnima Ashok

Introduction: End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is the last stage of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), where kidneys solely functions at 10 to 15 percent of their normal capacity. Efficacious treatment for ESRD is renal replacement therapies like dialysis and renal transplantation. Health related quality of life (HRQoL) is a neglected aspect of CKD care. Objective: To assess the acute complications and quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted for 6 months, 90 patients undergoing hemodialysis were enrolled in the study. Acute complications were assessed during and post dialysis and Health Related Quality of Life were analysed using KDQoL-36TM questionnaire. Result: Among patients assessed; majority of the patients belonged to the age group 30 to 60 years. Acute complications were evaluated and oedema was found in maximum patients followed by muscle cramps, loss of appetite, itching etc. Based on KDQoL-36TM questionnaire, physical functions was mainly affected due to the disease. Oedema and muscle cramps had an impact on the patients physical and mental functioning whereas educational status and addictions showed significance in all domains of KDQOL-36TM. Conclusion: CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis has an intense effect on HRQoL. A better understanding on QOL issues will enable providers to deliver better patient centred care and enhance the overall well-being of the patients.


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