The impact of fatigue on quality of life in patients, undergone liver transplantation

The study was planned and applied, as descriptive and correlational, with the aim of determining the effect of fatigue on quality of life, in patients undergone liver transplantation. The target population of the study were 189 patient undergone liver transplantation in Turgut Özal Medical Centre between May 2004 and 2009. Samples of the study were 76 patients coming to get controlled to Turgut Özal Medical Centre-General Surgery Policlinic between March 1 and 31 August, chosen with the method of nonprobability accidental sampling. Data were collected by using Patient Information Form, The Visual Analogue Scale for Fatigue and The SF-36 Quality of Life Scale. In the statistically evaluation of the data, Number, Percentage, t Test in Independent Groups, Mann Whitney U, Kruskall Wallis and Pearson Korelasyon Analysis Tests were used.More than half of the patients participated in the study were in the age group of 30-49, (53.9%), mostly man (78.9 %), married (75%), lived in nuclear family (88.2 %). It was found that patients got the highest point in the field of mental health and the lowest point mental role from the low dimension of the life quality scale. It was found that patients The Visual Analogue Scale for Fatigue were midpoint for total point average, fatigue level situating lower level was low; however, that energy level is higher than fatigue level and in a good degree. Patients earning more than their expenditures and transplanted from cadaver were found having lower fatigue level and patients in 30-49 age group had higher energy level. It was found that between the patients fatigue point and The SF-36 Quality of Life Scale lower dimension (physical function, physical role, pain, general health perception, vitality, social function, mental role, mental health) points, there was a negatively significant relation in an important level. As fatigue points increased, life quality points were determined decreasing.In conclusion, It was found that liver transplanted patients participating in this study were determined that the increase in the fatigue level affected the life quality negatively.Key Words: Liver Transplantation, Fatigue, Quality of Life, Nursing, Patient