Health-related quality of life in pre-adolescent liver transplant recipients with biliary atresia: A cross-sectional study

Systematic review: The quality of life of patients with biliary atresia

BACKGROUND

The quality of life of patients with Biliary Atresia (BA) have not been systematically examined. The goal of this meta-analysis is to determine patients' postoperative health-related Quality of life (HrQoL) with native or transplanted livers.

METHODS

From 2000 to August 2021, a literature-based search for relevant cohorts was conducted using Pubmed/Medline, the Cochrane Library, and Embase. Original research on BA, Hepatoportoenterostomy (HPE), portoenterostomy, Kasai, Liver transplantation and HrQoL was included. Using RevMan, a forest plot analysis of HrQoL after surgical treatment after BA was calculated (version 5.4). Using MetaXL, a pooled prevalence for cholangitis, secondary liver transplantation, or related malformations was computed (version 5.3).

RESULTS

Nine studies compared individuals with BA to an age-matched healthy control group. 4/9 (n = 352) of these studies found poorer scores for BA patients, while 5/9 (n = 81) found equivalent health status. Factors associated with HrQoL: older age at the time of the survey was linked to greater HrQoL; whereas females, higher total bilirubin and the amount of immunosuppressive medicines were associated with lower HrQoL in BA patients.

CONCLUSION

The current study emphasises the critical need to improve the many parameters influencing HrQoL in BA patients, as well as the methods utilized to assess those factors. This includes immunosuppression, withdrawal from polydrug regimes and recognizing the differences in disease burden between males and females.

TYPE OF STUDY

Systematic review.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Parental Disease Specific Knowledge and Its Impact on Health-Related Quality of Life

OBJECTIVE

Structured education programs have been shown to improve somatic outcome and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a variety of chronic childhood diseases. Similar data are scarce in paediatric liver transplantation (pLTx). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of parental disease-specific knowledge and psychosocial disease outcome in patients after pLTx.

METHODS

Parents of 113 children (chronic liver disease n = 25, after pLTx n = 88) completed the transplant module of the HRQOL questionnaire PedsQL, the "Ulm quality of life inventory for parents of children with chronic diseases" ULQUI, and a tailor-made questionnaire to test disease-specific knowledge.

RESULTS

Parental knowledge was highest on the topic of "liver transplantation" and lowest in "basic background knowledge" (76% and 56% correct answers respectively). Knowledge performance was only marginally associated with HRQOL scores, with better knowledge being related to worse HRQOL outcomes. In contrast, self-estimation of knowledge performance showed significant positive correlations with both PedsQL and ULQUI results.

CONCLUSION

Patient HRQOL and parental emotional wellbeing after pLTx are associated with positive self-estimation of parental disease-specific knowledge. Objective disease-specific knowledge has little impact on HRQOL. Parental education programs need to overcome language barriers and address self-efficacy in order to improve HRQOL after pLTx.

Need for transition medicine in pediatric surgery – health related quality of life in adolescents and young adults with congenital malformations

Survival rates of patients with visceral congenital malformations have increased considerably. However, long-term morbidity in these patients is high. In the last decades, these circumstances have led to a shift in goals of caretakers and researchers with a new focus on patients’ perspectives and long-term morbidity. Health-related quality of life (HrQoL) is the most commonly used patient-reported outcome measure to assess the impact of chronic symptoms on patients’ everyday lives. Most pediatric surgical conditions can cause a significantly decreased HrQoL in affected patients compared to the healthy population. In order to guarantee life-long care and to minimize the impact on HrQoL a regular interdisciplinary follow-up is obligatory. The period of transition from child-centered to adult-oriented medicine represents a critical phase in the long-term care of these complex patients. This scoping review aims to summarize relevant pediatric surgical conditions focusing on long-term-morbidity and HrQoL assessment in order to demonstrate the necessity for a well-structured and standardized transition for pediatric surgical patients.

Social and Educational Outcomes in Patients With Biliary Atresia: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

To systematically review the social outcomes of patients with biliary atresia (BA), including educational, employment and family outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, Maternity and Infant Care Database, supplemented by reference searching. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute scoring was conducted for quality assessment. The PROSPERO registration ID was CRD42020178846.

RESULTS

Fifty-one studies were included (41 cohort, 10 cross-sectional), including 4631 participants across 16 countries. Cohorts were BA post-liver transplant (LT) (18 studies), native liver survivors (NLS) (16 studies), mixed (13 studies) and four other cohorts. Outcomes covered; education (n = 35), employment (n = 16), family outcomes (n = 22), and social functioning (n = 22). BA patients had lower school functioning scores than controls, with no difference between NLS versus post-LT. Between 2% and 48% of children required additional educational support. Between 60% and 100% of adult patients with BA were employed. Pregnancies were described in 17 studies, with small samples, and some noted complications. Social functioning scores were similar to healthy controls in 8 of 11 comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite BA being the primary indication for liver transplantation in childhood, social outcomes for children and adolescents are predominantly reported in non-controlled, single-centre survey-based studies. School functioning is lower compared to peer groups, with no evidence of a difference for those having a liver transplant. We recommend routine psychosocial assessment of these patients during follow-up, alongside multi-centre collaborations, to maximise the quality of evidence for future patients.

The effects of child anxiety and depression on concordance between parent-proxy and self-reported health-related quality of life for pediatric liver transplant patients

BACKGROUND

HRQOL is a key outcome following pediatric LT. Parent-proxy reports may substitute for patients unable to report their own HRQOL. This study compared parent-proxy and self-reported HRQOL in children who have undergone LT.

METHODS

Pediatric LT recipients between the ages of 8 and 18 years, and a parent, completed self and proxy versions of the PeLTQL questionnaire, PedsQL Generic and Transplant modules, and standardized measures of depression and anxiety.

RESULTS

Data from 129 parent-patient dyads were included. Median parent age was 44 years, and most (89%) were mothers. Median patient age was 2.5 years at LT and 13.6 years at the time of study participation. Parents had significantly lower scores than patients on PedsQL total generic (70.8 ± 18.5 and 74.3 ± 19.0, p = .01), PeLTQL coping and adjustment (63.0 ± 15.6 and 67.3 ± 16.2, p < .01), and social-emotional (66.3 ± 14.9 and 71.9 ± 15.6, p < .001) domains. Higher patient anxiety and depression were related to larger absolute differences between parent-proxy and self-reported scores on all HRQOL measures (all p < .05). In this disparity, parents reported higher HRQOL scores than their child as self-reported anxiety and depression scores increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Differences in concordance between parent-proxy and self-reported HRQOL scores can be more prominent when children have more symptoms of anxiety and depression. Children's mental health symptoms should be queried, if feasible, when interpreting differences in parent and child reports of HRQOL.

Quality of life of transplanted children and their parents: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Transplantation is a saving therapeutic that has heavy consequences. The quality of life (QoL) of transplanted children and their parents has been little studied and should help physicians better manage these patients. The objectives of the study were to assess: (1) the QoL of transplanted children and parents and compare it with that of children with other chronic conditions associated with long-term consequences, and (2) potential variables modulating the QoL.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed in a multidisciplinary paediatric unit (Timone Hospital, Marseille, France). Children were less than 18 years old; had a liver, kidney or heart transplant; and had a time since transplantation of 1-10 years. Socio-demographics and clinical data were recorded from medical forms. The QoL was assessed using the VSP-A (Vécu et Santé Perçue de l'Adolescent et de l'Enfant) and the WhoQoL self-reported questionnaires.

RESULTS

Forty-five families were included (response rate: 76%). The transplanted organs were the liver for 20 children, the kidney for 15 children, and the heart for 10 children. The QoL of transplanted children reported by their parents was better than that of children with inborn errors of metabolism and similar to that of childhood leukaemia survivors. The QoL of parents of transplanted children was better than that of parents of children with inborn errors of metabolism and did not differ from French norms. The QoL did not differ according to the nature of the transplanted organ, sex or the main sociodemographic data. The main modulators decreasing QoL were residual treatment level, medications switch and the presence of another regular treatment.

CONCLUSION

Transplanted children and their families reported a fairly preserved QoL compared to children with other chronic health conditions. Special attention should be given to QoL modulators related to therapeutic management (medication switches, regular treatments) that might be amenable to improve the QoL. Trial registration Ethics committee of Aix-Marseille University, France (reference number: 2014-08-04-03, 24/4/2015; https://www.univ-amu.fr/fr/public/comite-dethique ).

Outcomes following liver transplantation in young infants: Data from the SPLIT registry

Liver transplantation (LT) in young patients is being performed with greater frequency. We hypothesized that objective analysis of pre-, intra-, and postoperative events would help understand contributors to successful outcomes and guide transplant decision processes. We queried SPLIT registry for pediatric transplants between 2011 and 2018. Outcomes were compared for age groups: 0-<3, 3-<6, 6-<12 months, and 1-<3 years (Groups A, B, C, D respectively) and by weight categories: <5, 5-10, >10 kg; 1033 patients were available for analysis. Cholestatic disease and fulminant failure were highest in group A and those <5 kg; and biliary atresia in group C (72.8%). Group A had significantly higher life support dependence (34.6%; P < .001), listing as United Network for Organ Sharing status 1a/1b (70.4%; P < .001), and shortest wait times (P < .001). The median (interquartile range) for international normalized ratio and bilirubin were highest in group A (3.0 [2.1-3.9] and 16.7 [6.8-29.7] mg/dL) and those <5 kg (2.6 [1.8-3.4] and 13.5 [3.0-28.4] mg/dL). A pediatric end -stage liver disease score ≥40, postoperative hospital stays, rejection, and nonanastomotic biliary strictures were highest in group A with lowest survival at 93.1%. Infants 0 to <3 months and those <5 kg need more intensive care with lower survival and higher complications. Importantly, potential LT before reaching status 1a/1b and aggressive postoperative management may positively influence their outcomes.

Health-Related Quality of Life 10 Years after Liver Transplantation: A Longitudinal Retrospective Review

As survival post-liver transplantation (LTx) improves, it becomes increasingly important to understand how long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is impacted. This was a longitudinal review examining HRQOL measured by Pediatric Liver Transplant Quality of Life (PeLTQL) in children between 8-17 years who underwent LTx (1.4 [0.8–3.3] years) at least one year prior to assessment. Demographic, medical, anthropometric, and HRQOL data (self-reported and parent proxy) were retrospectively collected over four years (2014–2017) at annual LTx clinic visits. The study included 35 patients (18M, 17F) and their parents/guardians. Parent-proxy and child PeLTQL scores (total, subdomain) showed good to excellent agreement (p > 0.05) and did not change over four years (p > 0.05). Younger age (<12 years) and Caucasian ancestry were associated with higher parental and self-reported perceptions of HRQOL, respectively (future health, coping and adjustment, total scores). Parent perceived lower HRQOL in social–emotional sub-domain (p = 0.03) and the child reported lower sub-domain scores related to coping and adjustment (p = 0.04) when the child was noted to have co-morbid conditions related to mental health and neurocognitive development (25.7%). While child–parent perceptions of HRQOL in a multi-ethnic population of pediatric LTx recipients remain unchanged 10 years post-LTx, adolescents of non-Caucasian ancestry remain a population at risk for lower HRQOL.

Care of Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: An Overview for Primary Care Providers

As the number of living pediatric solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients continues to grow, there is an increased likelihood that primary care providers (PCPs) will encounter pediatric SOT recipients in their practices. In addition, as end-stage organ failure is replaced with chronic medical conditions in transplant recipients, there is a need for a comprehensive approach to their management. PCPs can significantly enhance the care of immunosuppressed hosts by advising parents of safety considerations and avoiding adverse drug interactions. Together with subspecialty providers, PCPs are responsible for ensuring that appropriate vaccinations are given and can play an important role in the diagnosis of infections. Through early recognition of rejection and posttransplant complications, PCPs can minimize morbidity. Growth and development can be optimized through frequent assessments and timely referrals. Adherence to immunosuppressive regimens can be greatly improved through reinforcement at every encounter, particularly among adolescents. PCPs can also improve long-term outcomes by easing the transition of pediatric SOT recipients to adult providers. Although guidelines exist for the primary care management of adult SOT recipients, comprehensive guidance is lacking for pediatric providers. In this evidence-based overview, we outline the main issues affecting pediatric SOT recipients and provide guidance for PCPs regarding their management from the first encounter after the transplant to the main challenges that arise in childhood and adolescence. Overall, PCPs can and should use their expertise and serve as an additional layer of support in conjunction with the transplant center for families that are caring for a pediatric SOT recipient.