Abstract
This prospective, longitudinal study investigated the quality of life among patients immediately after undergoing peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. The patients were assessed before transplantation (n = 16), immediately before hospital discharge (n = 10), 2 weeks after hospital discharge (n = 10), and 6 weeks after hospital discharge (n = 8). Patients completed the European Organization for Research and Training Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 and the Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index at each assessment point. A brief telephone interview was conducted 6 weeks after hospitalization (n = 7). The study results indicate that patients undergoing peripheral blood stem cell transplantation experience significant appetite loss (P < .01), diarrhea (P < .05), nausea and vomiting (P < .05), and sleep disturbances (P < .01) during the acute posttransplantation period. Other clinically important changes also were identified, so that a general pattern of recovery emerged. These patients reported diminished functional ability, increased symptoms, and poorer quality of life immediately before hospital discharge, with a return to pretransplantation levels by 6 weeks after hospitalization. In contrast, life satisfaction continued to decline 2 weeks after hospitalization, but did improve by 6 weeks. The qualitative data provide further support for this trend.