Quality of Life among Patients with Hepatorenal Syndrome

Abstract
Background: Hepatorenal syndrome is a unique form of functional renal failure due to diminished renal blood flow. It is a severe complication that affects patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites, the deterioration in kidney function is quantified by an elevation in creatinine level in the blood and decrease GFR. Assessing QOL of individuals with diseases has become common clinical practice. The aim of this study was to assess QOL among liver cirrhosis patients with HRS.
Patients and Methods: A convenient sample of 100 adult patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis admitted in medical wards at one of Cairo University affiliated hospitals was recruited as study sample. A descriptive research design was utilized. Data was collected using 2 tools including tool 1 demographic and medical related data, tool 11, Quality of Life (QOL) for patients with chronic liver disease CLD.
Results: The study revealed that (52%) of patients, their age above 50 years with mean of (51.91±5.36), about (78%) of patients were employmed have income more than 1000 L.E . As regard to medical data, about (55%) have hepatitis C, about (77%) of patients were frequently readmitted com-plaining of hematemsis, there was decrease in GFR with increase in creatinine level, about (46%-39%-43% and 32%) of patients were feeling abdominal discomfort, feeling tired, muscles cramp, unable to hold or carry heavy objects respec-tively, while (51% and 47%) of patients were feeling unhappy and worried about the effect of disease on their family respec-tively. Finally the total mean score of QOL for patients with CLD of the studied sample equal (96%) which indicating moderate QOL.
Conclusion: There was a moderate QOL among patients with HRS and there was relation between total scores of each domain and total QOL scores in CLD and between abdominal factors and other domains of QOL namely (fatigue, systemic symptom, activity and emotion) except worry. There was no relation between worry domain and other domains of QOL except emotion and there was a relation between worry domain and emotion domain.