Key result
Childhood mitral valve replacement is linked to impaired QoL in 100% of younger patients.
Why the study?
What is the health-related quality of life in children and young adults following mitral valve replacement?
Cross-Sectional (n=19)
No
What is the health-related quality of life in children and young adults following mitral valve replacement?
Following mitral valve replacement in childhood, quality of life appears to be more impaired in younger children compared to older patients, though long-term anticoagulation is generally well tolerated.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Younger children may face greater QoL impairment after childhood MVR; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective confirmation before guiding care.
OBJECTIVE: To measure the health related quality of life (QoL) following mitral valve replacement in childhood. DESIGN: Cross sectional study. SETTING: Tertiary referral centre. METHODS: 19 patients, median age (range) 14.4 (9.7-25.4) years, were studied at a median of 7.6 (0.5-11.2) years after their most recent mitral valve replacement. General health status was measured using age specific validated questionnaires. Ten children aged between 9-15 years completed the child health related quality of life questionnaire, and for nine older patients the UK version of the short form 36 was used. Specific questions were added to the existing questionnaires to study the effect of long term anticoagulation treatment. RESULTS: All patients in the younger age group reported impaired QoL. Five rated their QoL within the range of children with chronic physical disabilities, and in the remaining five it was worse. In the older age group, all but two patients perceived their QoL as normal or near normal compared with a reference population matched for sex and age. Having regular blood tests had a negative effect on QoL in three young children, and one older patient reported impaired QoL related to taking daily warfarin tablets. CONCLUSIONS: In this small group, the effect of mitral valve replacement on QoL appears to be age specific, with more impairment in younger children. Long term anticoagulation treatment is well tolerated in most patients.
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Carin van Doorn (2000) conducted a cross-sectional in mitral valve replacement (n=19). Mitral valve replacement vs. Reference population matched for sex and age was evaluated on Health related quality of life (QoL). Mitral valve replacement in childhood was associated with impaired quality of life in all 10 younger patients (9-15 years), whereas 7 of 9 older patients perceived their quality of life as normal.
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