Kvaliteta života i percepcija bolesti u bolesnika s kroničnim ulkusom potkoljenice

Chronic wounds on lower extremities most commonly result from chronic venous insufficiency. Chronic leg ulcer impacts the quality of life in a number of ways such as reduced mobility, pain, unpleasant odor, sleep disturbances, social isolation, etc. This study included 100 patients with chronic wounds/lower leg ulcer (59% of women and 41% of men, aged 31 to 89) treated locally with special wound dressings for moist wound healing. Study results showed no age and sex correlation with the quality of life, and all participants evaluated their quality of life and health satisfaction as neither good nor bad, but it was found that the disease mostly affected social relationships and to a lesser extent patient satisfaction with their physical and mental health, and the environment. Results on the disease perception showed that the participants considered their disease to have a significant effect on their life and would last for a relatively long time, but they also believed they had good control of their disease. Also, they considered the disease to have many symptoms affecting them; they were worried about their disease which they understood relatively well; they were aware that treatment could be very helpful; and that the disease had moderate effect on their emotional health. According to sex, the disease was found to have greater effect on women (especially on their emotional condition) and women had more faith in successful treatment, while correlation with age was nonsignificant. This study confirmed the importance of the patient psychological condition and the need of due care of their psychological reactions to and facing with the disease.Kronične rane na donjim udovima najčešće su posljedica kronične venske insuficijencije. Kronična rana na potkoljenici bitno utječe na kvalitetu života zbog više čimbenika: smanjuje se mobilnost bolesnika, javlja se bol, neugodni mirisi, poremećaji spavanja te dolazi i do socijalne izolacije bolesnika i frustracija. Naše istraživanje je provedeno kod 100 bolesnika s kroničnom ranom na potkoljenicama (59% žena i 41% muškaraca, dobi od 31 do 89 godina) liječenih lokalnom terapijom, tj. oblogama za vlažno cijeljenje rana. Rezultati su pokazali da dob i spol ne utječu na kvalitetu života bolesnika i svi ispitanici procijenili su svoju kvalitetu življenja i zadovoljstvo zdravljem ni dobrim ni lošim, a uočili su najveći utjecaj bolesti na socijalne odnose te nešto manje na zadovoljstvo fizičkim i psihičkim zdravljem te zadovoljstvo okolinom. Rezultati percepcije bolesti su pokazali da ispitanici smatraju kako bolest značajno utječe na njihov život i da će relativno dugo trajati te da nad njom imaju relativno dobru kontrolu. Smatraju da bolest ima dosta simptoma koji utječu na njih, zabrinuti su zbog svoje bolesti koju relativno dobro razumiju i smatraju da im liječenje može dosta pomoći, a bolest ima umjeren utjecaj na emocionalno stanje ispitanika. Prema spolu se utvrdilo da bolest više utječe na percepciju bolesti u žena (osobito na emocionalno stanje) i da one više vjeruju u uspješnost liječenja, dok se utjecaj dobi nije pokazao značajnim. Ovo istraživanje dokazuje važnost psihološkog stanja bolesnika i potrebu da se uz samo zdravstveno stanje bolesnika vodi briga i o njihovim psihološkim reakcijama na bolest i suočavanju s njom