Ps. Myles et al., Relation between quality of recovery in hospital and quality of life at 3 months after cardiac surgery, ANESTHESIOL, 95(4), 2001, pp. 862-867
Citations number
18
Categorie Soggetti
Aneshtesia & Intensive Care","Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
Background: improved quality of life (QoL) is a desirable outcome of cardia
c surgery. The aim of the current study was to measure the association betw
een quality of recovery 3 days after surgery and QoL measured 3 months late
r.
Methods: After obtaining ethics committee approval and consent, 120 adult c
ardiac surgical patients were studied. A 40-item quality of recovery score
(QoR-40) was used to measure postoperative health status on days 1-3 and 1
month after surgery. QoL was measured using the short-form health survey (S
F-36) at 1 and 3 months after surgery. The effect size (Delta mean/SD) was
used to define responsiveness, a clinically important difference in health.
Associations were measured using correlation and reliability coefficients.
Results: There was a significant change in the mean QoR-40 for tip to 1 mon
th after surgery (P < 0.0005). QoL was improved at 3 months (P < 0.0005) bu
t not 1 month (P = 0.29) after surgery. There was a moderate correlation be
tween day-3 QoR-40 and 3-month SF-36 (r = 0.39; P < 0.0005). A poor-quality
recovery in hospital predicted a poor QoL at 3 months (adjusted odds ratio
, 4.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-12.5; P = 0.01).
Conclusions: The QoR-40 is a valid measure of quality of recovery after sur
gery and anesthesia. When compared with the SF-36, it is a better measure o
f early postoperative recovery. A poor-quality recovery on the days after s
urgery can predict a poor QoL at 3 months after surgery. This may allow ear
lier and more effective support strategies while patients are still in the
hospital (counseling, home assistance, local doctor notification, cardiac r
ehabilitation).