Comorbidities Might Condition the Recovery of Quality of Life in Survivors of Sepsis

Abstract

Purpose:: To assess how preexisting disabling comorbidities (DC) affect the recovery rate of quality of life (QOL) over time in sepsis survivors.

Methods:: A prospective study was conducted on sepsis survivors who answered the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) 7 days after discharge from the intensive care unit. Subsequent interviews were held at 3, 6, and 12 months. The results of the physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS) of the SF-36 were evaluated. Patients were divided into 2 groups to compare patients with DC (DC group) and without DC (no-DC group). Quantile regression was used to model changes in PCS and MCS between different time points.

Results:: Seventy-nine sepsis survivors were enrolled. After controlling for baseline age and QOL, the QOL scores were lower among patients with DC than in no-DC patients. The QOL of DC group got worse when compared to no-DC group. Recovery rate of PCS and MCS was higher in the DC group than in the no-DC group (PCS: 20.51 vs 16.96, P < .01; MCS: 19.24 vs 9.66, P < .01). Their baseline QOL was recovered only by 6 months after the sepsis episode.

Conclusion:: Quality-of-life impairment and its recovery rhythm in patients with sepsis appear to be conditioned by coexisting DC.

Keywords: SF-36 questionnaire; comorbidities; health-related quality of life; outcome; quality of life; sepsis.