Quality of life assessment in Pakistani patients with chronic liver disease
Atiq, M.; Gill, M.L.; Khokhar, N.
Jpma. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association 54(3): 113-115
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0030-9982 PMID: 15129867 Document Number: 568152
56 patients (32 males, 24 females) with serological evidence of hepatitis C virus infection, admitted at the Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan , were divided into 2 groups. Patients without cirrhosis or with early cirrhosis were placed in group A (n=21) and patients with advanced cirrhosis were placed in group B (n=35). The Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) was used to evaluate the quality of life of these patients, including emotional changes, fatigue, physical activity, anxiety and abdominal symptoms. A lower CLDQ score meant a lower quality of life. The CLDQ scores of group B were significantly lower than group A, and declined with advancing disease. It is concluded that patients with advanced liver cirrhosis have a greater impairment in health related quality of life than patients without or with early cirrhosis.