Avoidant coping with health problems is related to poorer quality of life among lung transplant candidates.

CONTEXT: Lung transplant candidates face numerous health-related stressors. Although previous work has described the range of coping strategies candidates may use, whether those strategies are related to quality of life in physical functioning, emotional, and social domains has rarely been examined. METHODS: Adult lung transplant candidates (N = 128) participated in semistructured interviews that included questions regarding global and domain-specific quality of life and a multidimensional assessment of coping with health-related problems. Demographic characteristics, health status, and other psychosocial variables were also assessed, and their effects were examined and controlled in multivariate analyses of the coping-quality-of-life relationship. RESULTS: Respondents were most likely to use active, acceptance, and support-seeking strategies to cope with health problems. Self-blame or avoidance were rarely used. Although used least often, avoidant coping was the most strongly and consistently related to quality of life. With demographic and psychosocial variables controlled, higher avoidant coping remained associated with significantly poorer global quality of life, bodily pain, difficulty with daily work or activities as a function of emotional problems, and depressive symptomatology. Avoidant coping accentuated the association of poor health status and lower quality of life. Among respondents with lower health status, using more avoidant coping was associated with greater difficulty functioning in daily activities as a result of emotional problems. Those with higher health status had less difficulty functioning in daily activities as a result of emotional problems. CONCLUSIONS: Transplant team members are encouraged to be aware of and help patients refrain from using avoidant coping strategies.

Psychosocial vulnerability, physical symptoms and physical impairment after lung and heart-lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Many lung and heart-lung transplant recipients experience distressing physical symptoms and elevated physical impairment levels. Although post-transplant complications and secondary illnesses may largely account for these health limitations, patients' psychosocial well-being may influence them as well. We examined the contribution of psychosocial variables to patients' experience of physical symptoms and physical impairment. METHODS: The study consisted of a cross-sectional sample of 50 patients (36 lung, 14 heart-lung) at between 2 and 17 months post-transplant. They were interviewed to assess physical symptoms, current physical impairment and psychosocial well-being in the areas of mental health, sense of mastery and coping. Medical record reviews established the presence of medical complications and secondary illnesses concurrent with the interviews. Descriptive analyses examined the range of symptoms and levels of physical impairment experienced. Bivariate analyses and multivariate linear regression examined relationships between key variables. RESULTS: Average number of physical symptoms and level of physical impairment met or exceeded levels reported in other transplant samples. Elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms, a low sense of mastery, and the presence of concurrent medical complications were each associated with increased number of physical symptoms and physical impairment level. When the impact of concurrent medical complications was controlled, recipients with elevated psychologic distress remained significantly more likely to report more physical symptoms and higher physical impairment levels. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' physical health status may be influenced by many factors. To the extent that psychologic distress increases the likelihood of perceived physical limitations, timely identification and treatment of distress may help to maximize quality of life after lung and heart-lung transplantation.

Outcomes of lung volume reduction surgery followed by lung transplantation: a matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) has been demonstrated to provide symptomatic relief and to improve lung function in patients with end-stage emphysema. The goal of this study was to assess the additional morbidity associated with lung transplantation after LVRS for end-stage emphysema with regard to immediate postoperative outcomes, longitudinal spirometry, and survival rates compared to an age-, gender-, procedure-matched, and transplant time-matched cohort that had lung transplantation alone. METHODS: We compared the postoperative and long-term outcomes of a sequential procedure cohort to a matched cohort to assess the possible added post-transplant morbidity. RESULTS: Fifteen patients who underwent sequential LVRS (including 11 unilateral LVRS, 4 bilateral LVRS) and lung transplantation (ipsilateral in 7 and contralateral in 8) on average 28.1 +/- 17.2 months (median, 27.4 months; range, 3.7 to 61.7 months) later were assessed. No significant differences were noted in pretransplant demographics, post-transplant variables, longitudinal spirometric indices, or survival. A trend toward a lower pretransplant arterial carbon dioxide tension was apparent in the sequential procedure cohort. Group analysis revealed a significant increase in the number of patients requiring transfusion and in the total number of units transfused in patients undergoing ispsilateral transplantation after LVRS; a significant increase in the length of intensive care unit stay; and a trend toward an increase in the duration of hospital stay in patients undergoing lung transplantation within 18 months of LVRS. CONCLUSIONS: In appropriate candidates, LVRS bridged the time to transplantation by an average of 28.1 +/- 17.2 months (median, 27.4 months; range, 3.7 to 61.7 months) without significantly increasing post-transplant morbidity or mortality. Furthermore, bilateral LVRS bridged the time to transplantation to a greater extent than unilateral LVRS (34.9 +/- 29.8 months; median, 32.1 months versus 25.4 +/- 16.3 months; median, 22.3 months; p = 0.23).