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Pediatric Transplants

Health-related quality of life of pediatric patients receiving allogeneic stem cell or bone marrow transplantation: results of a longitudinal, multi-center study

Abstract

The results of a 5-year longitudinal prospective study about the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of pediatric patients receiving allogeneic bone marrow or stem cell transplantation (BMT) are described. The patients' HRQL was assessed twice before, and five times after BMT, the end point being 1 year after BMT. For the measurement of HRQL, standardized questionnaires were completed by patients, parents and physicians. The final sample consisted of 68 patients aged 4–18 years, of which 19 were lost in the course of the study owing to relapse, transplant rejection and/or death. The worst HRQL was seen shortly after transplant and HRQL thereafter improved steadily, although the improvement was not always linear and not all patients drew benefit from this average positive evolution. Compromised emotional functioning, a high level of worry and reduced communication during the acute phase of treatment had a negative impact on HRQL 1 year after BMT. Nausea and pain during the acute phase of treatment did not have an effect on later HRQL. The interobserver agreement of HRQL reports between parents and their children was moderate to good, and generally better than child–physician and parent–physician agreement.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all nurses and physicians of our transplantation units for their cooperation. Specifically, we gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Michaela Baumgartner, Dieter Buergin, Franz-Martin Fink, Ulrike Foetsch, Heidi Hammer-Gaertner, Paul Imbach, Waltraud Kail, Brigitte Keck, Martina Kronberger, Gaby Kropshofer, Thomas Kuehne, Renate Ladenstein, Anita Lawitschka, Daniela Leithner, Petra Mathauer, Susanne Matthes-Martin, Magdalena Ortner, Silvia Pernter, Christine Peters, Heide Pobuda, Bettina Puchas, Gabriele Sonegg, Petra Sovinc, Katharina Spiegl, Anita Stradner, Karin Triebl-Roth, Christian Urban, Nicole Trummer and Alexandra Zehetner.

This work was supported by the ‘Jubilaeumsfonds der Oesterreichischen Nationalbank’ Grant No. 8282.

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Felder-Puig, R., di Gallo, A., Waldenmair, M. et al. Health-related quality of life of pediatric patients receiving allogeneic stem cell or bone marrow transplantation: results of a longitudinal, multi-center study. Bone Marrow Transplant 38, 119–126 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705417

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