Käthe B Meyer
Oslo University Hospital, Norway
Title: Long-term clinical and self-reported health outcomes in kidney donors
Biography
Biography: Käthe B Meyer
Abstract
The wide use of healthy persons as kidney donors calls for awareness of risks associated with donation. Few studies have investigated associations between clinical variables and donors’ self-reported health outcomes in a long-term perspective. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between clinical variables and self-reported health outcomes long-term. The study had a mixed-methods design using a cross-sectional survey and a prospective follow-up study. Self-reported health outcomes (Short-Form 36v2 (SF-36v2™), multidimensional fatigue inventory and donor specific questions) were collected from 217 donors who donated a kidney at Oslo University hospital in 2001-2004. Pre and post donation data was collected from 202 of these donors. Linear regression analysis was used to investigate potential associations. Approximately ten years post-donation donors scored high on QOL with mean scores between 63.9 and 91.4 (scale 1-100) for the 8 subscales, highest for role emotional and lowest for vitality. Females scored higher than males on fatigue. Mean systolic BP was 129.2 mmHg (SD=14.7) and diastolic BT 78.5 mmHg (SD=7.8). Mean increase in plasma creatinine was 16.6 µmol/l (SD=16.3). Hypertension were identified in 67 donors, and 54 donors had eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. None of the clinical parameters were significant predictors for self-reported health. However, we found a significant relationship between hypertension and donor specific questions. Recipient health, worries about own health and worsened relationship with the recipient influenced willingness to donate in retrospect. Regretting donors scored higher than average on all domains of fatigue. Identifying and following donors who are at risk for fatigue is important.