Published in:
01-11-2016 | Trauma Surgery
One-year development of QOL following orthopaedic polytrauma: a prospective observational cohort study of 53 patients
Published in: Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery | Issue 11/2016
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Introduction
Most studies of polytrauma examined highly mixed patient groups. The objective of the present study was to report the development of patient-reported quality of life (QOL), in a patient group with musculoskeletal polytrauma, excluding patients with major thoracic, abdominal, and brain injuries.
Materials and methods
The study design was a 1-year cohort follow-up study. Recordings of injury severity were measured with the ISS and NISS. Patient-reported QOL was measured with the questionnaires Eq5d-5L and SF-36 and compared to age-matched reference populations. Moreover, patients return to work status was measured. Data were collected prospectively at discharge, 3, 6, and 12 months.
Results
53 patients were included. The mean age was 42.3 years, ranging from 17 to 78 years. Twelve months after trauma admission, the mean Eq5d-5L index was 0.601 (95 % CI 0.546–0.657). A progressive increasing Eq5d-5L index and SF-36 PCS was observed between the discharge and the 12-month follow-up (p < 0.001). The development in QOL from 6 to 12 months almost shows identically scores. Throughout the study period, patients reported significant worse QOL compared with the established reference population. 32 % of patients have resumed earlier employment status at 1-year follow-up.
Conclusions
Throughout the 12-month observational period, patients reported worse QOL compared to the age-matched reference population. The development of QOL from 6- to 12-month time points almost showed identically scores with only little improvement. At the end of 1-year follow-up, 32 % of patients had resumed prior employment status.