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Quality of life and functional limitations after pulmonary embolism and its prognostic relevance
Author(s) -
Keller Karsten,
Tesche Clara,
GerholdAy Aslihan,
Nickels Stefan,
Klok Frederikus A.,
Rappold Lisa,
Hasenfuß Gerd,
Dellas Claudia,
Konstantinides Stavros V.,
Lankeit Mareike
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of thrombosis and haemostasis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.947
H-Index - 178
eISSN - 1538-7836
pISSN - 1538-7933
DOI - 10.1111/jth.14589
Subject(s) - pulmonary embolism , relevance (law) , intensive care medicine , medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , clinical significance , political science , nursing , law
Background While the importance of patients’ quality of life (QoL) in chronic cardiac or pulmonary disease is uncontroversial, the burden of an acute pulmonary embolism ( PE ) on QoL has received little attention thus far. Objectives We aimed to validate the German PE mb‐QoL questionnaire, identify associations between QoL and clinical/functional parameters, and investigate the prognostic relevance of QoL for long‐term survival in survivors of an acute PE episode. Patients/Methods Patients were invited for a clinical follow‐up visit including assessment of QoL using the German PE mb‐QoL questionnaire 6 months after an objectively confirmed PE at a single center. Internal consistency reliability, construct‐related validity, and regressions between PE mb‐QoL and clinical patient‐characteristics were assessed using standard scale construction techniques. Results Overall, 101 patients [median age, 69 ([interquartile range] IQR 57‐75) years; women, 48.5%] were examined 208 ( IQR 185‐242) days after PE . Internal consistency reliability and construct‐related validity of the PE mb‐QoL questionnaire were acceptable. As many as 47.0% of patients reported dyspnea, 27.5% had right ventricular (RV) dysfunction on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and 25.3% were diagnosed with post‐ PE impairment ( PPEI ) at 6‐month follow‐up. Furthermore, 15.9% of patients were diagnosed with depression 6 months after an acute PE . The QoL was affected by dyspnea, preexisting pulmonary disease, and PPEI, and a reduced QoL was associated with an increased risk for long‐term mortality after an observation period of 3.6 years. Conclusions The German PE mb‐QoL questionnaire is a reliable instrument for assessing QoL 6 months after PE . The QoL was affected by dyspnea, preexisting pulmonary disease, and PPEI and was associated with long‐term mortality.