Quality of life was assessed in 37 patients receiving home parenteral
nutrition (HPN) for intestinal failure. A questionnaire was developed
specifically for this purpose and the results were compared with those
obtained by subjective assessment using a simple linear scale. The ma
jority of patients (n = 26, 70.3%) had a good objective quality of lif
e and most (n = 16, 53.3%) of those eligible (n = 30, 81.1%) did not e
xpress an interest in intestinal transplantation. Despite the apparent
good quality of life enjoyed by patients receiving HPN, there were nu
merous areas in which patients with intestinal failure felt that their
quality of life left much to be desired: many patients reported signi
ficant psychological symptoms (n = 15, 40.5%) sexual (n = 10, 27.0%) a
nd social dysfunction (n = 19, 51.3%) and most patients with intestina
l failure were unable to return to work (n = 24, 88.9%). Detailed qual
ity of life assessment reveals that there is much still to be done to
ensure that provision of care for patients with intestinal failure inv
olves not only prolongation of life but also an improvement in quality
of life.