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Quality of life of adult Fontan patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 October 2020

Alexandra Soufi ,
Marielle Gouton ,
Olivier Metton ,
Julia Mitchell ,
Yvette F. Bernard ,
Andre Bozio ,
Jean Ninet  and
Sylvie Di Filippo Open the ORCID record for Sylvie Di Filippo [Opens in a new window]
Alexandra Soufi
Affiliation:
Cardiology Department, Jean Minjoz University Medical Center, Besançon, France Congenital Cardiology Department, Cardiovascular Hospital Louis Pradel, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
Marielle Gouton
Affiliation:
Congenital Cardiology Department, Cardiovascular Hospital Louis Pradel, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
Olivier Metton
Affiliation:
Congenital Cardiology Department, Cardiovascular Hospital Louis Pradel, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
Julia Mitchell
Affiliation:
Congenital Cardiology Department, Cardiovascular Hospital Louis Pradel, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
Yvette F. Bernard
Affiliation:
Cardiology Department, Jean Minjoz University Medical Center, Besançon, France
Andre Bozio
Affiliation:
Congenital Cardiology Department, Cardiovascular Hospital Louis Pradel, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
Jean Ninet
Affiliation:
Congenital Cardiology Department, Cardiovascular Hospital Louis Pradel, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
Sylvie Di Filippo*
Affiliation:
Congenital Cardiology Department, Cardiovascular Hospital Louis Pradel, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
*
Author for correspondence: Sylvie Di Filippo, Department of Congenital Heart Disease, Cardiovascular Hospital Louis Pradel, 28 Avenue Doyen Lépine, 69677 Lyon, France. Tel: +33 (0)6 10 32 15 12; Fax: +33 (0)4 72 35 70 49. E-mail: sylvie.di-filippo@chu-lyon.fr.
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Abstract

Background:

Progress in the management of complex congenital heart disease (CHD) led to an improvement in survival rates of adults with a Fontan-like circulation. The objective of this study was to assess the subjective health status and quality of life of this population.

Methods and results:

Patients aged more than 18 years at the time of the study, who underwent a Fontan-like procedure. Subjective health status was assessed by the SF-36 questionnaire and a linear analog scale was used to score patients’ self-perception of their quality of life; cardiac and demographic parameters were collected.

Results:

Among 65 eligible patients, 60 (23 females; mean ± SD age: 25.7 ± 7.2 years) answered the SF-36 questionnaire and 46 of these were interviewed to evaluate their perceived quality of life. Among them, 20 (33.3%) were working full-time and 21 (35%) experienced arrhythmias. The physical SF-36 scores were lower in patients than in the general population (p ≤ 0.05). The New York Hear Association (NYHA) class and occupation were correlated with SF-36 scores of physical activity (respectively, p = 0.0001 and p = 0.025). SF-36 scores of psychological status were associated with the number of drugs and occupation (respectively, p = 0.0001 and p = 0.02). The mean ± SD quality of life score measured using a linear analog scale was 7.02 ± 1.6 and was linked to education and occupation (p ≤ 0.05) but not with cardiac parameters.

Conclusion:

Adult Fontan patients perceive an impaired physical health but report a good overall quality of life. Education and occupation impacts significantly on Fontan patients’ quality of life.

Keywords

Quality of lifesubjective health statussingle-ventricle heartcongenital heart diseaseadultFontan circulation

Information

Type
Original Article
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 31 , Issue 1 , January 2021 , pp. 97 - 104
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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