Cross sectional survey on the concerns and anxiety of patients waiting for organ transplants

The Extent to Which the Wish to Donate One's Organs After Death Contributes to Life-Extension Arguments in Favour of Voluntary Active Euthanasia in the Terminally Ill: An Ethical Analysis

In terminally ill individuals who would otherwise end their own lives, active voluntary euthanasia (AVE) can be seen as life-extending rather than life-shortening. Accordingly, AVE supports key pro-euthanasia arguments (appeals to autonomy and beneficence) and meets certain sanctity of life objections. This paper examines the extent to which a terminally ill individual's wish to donate organs after death contributes to those life-extension arguments. It finds that, in a terminally ill individual who wishes to avoid experiencing life he considers to be not worth living, and who also wishes to donate organs after death, AVE maximizes the likelihood that such donations will occur. The paper finds that the wish to donate organs strengthens the appeals to autonomy and beneficence, and fortifies the meeting of certain sanctity of life objections, achieved by life-extension arguments, and also generates appeals to justice that form novel life-extension arguments in favour of AVE in this context.

Introducing Incentives and Reducing Disincentives in Enhancing Deceased Organ Donation and Transplantation

Despite the effectiveness of solid organ transplantation, progress to close the gap between donor organs and demand remains slow. An organ shortage increases the waiting time for transplant and involves significant costs including patient morbidity and mortality. Against the background of a low deceased organ donation rate, this article discusses the option of introducing incentives and removing disincentives to deceased organ donation. Perspectives from ethics, general public opinion, and the health care profession are examined to ensure a comprehensive appraisal and illustrate different facets of opinion on this complex area. Special cultural and psychosocial considerations in Asia, including the family based consent model, are discussed.

Kidney Organ Allocation System: How to Be Fair

Transplantation is a life-saving medical intervention that unfortunately is constrained by scarcity of available organs. An ideal system for allocating organs should seek to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It also must be fair and not disadvantage certain populations. However, policies aimed at reducing disparities also must be balanced with considerations of utility (graft outcomes), cost, efficiency, and any adverse effects on organ utilization. Here, we discuss the ethical challenges of creating a fair and equitable organ allocation system, focusing on the principles governing deceased donor kidney transplant waitlists around the world. The kidney organ allocation systems in the United States, Australia, and Hong Kong are used as illustrations.

Depression in dialysis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aim of this study was to examine updated prevalence rates, risk factors and the prognosis, diagnosis and treatments for depression among dialysis patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Depression influences prognosis, complications, quality of life (QOL), treatment and costs for dialysis patients worldwide. Reported prevalence of depression is 13.1-76.3%; it is higher for dialysis than transplant and higher post than predialysis. Reported depression rates with peritoneal dialysis (PD) compared with in-centre haemodialysis (HD) are inconsistent. Related medical factors are known, but suspected associated patient characteristics including gender and race remain unexplored. Associations between depression in dialysis and QOL, mortality, pathophysiological mechanisms of increased mortality, infection and pathways of inflammation-mediated and psychosocial factors require clarification. Several depression screening instruments are validated for dialysis patients - the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM disorders (SCID) remains the gold standard - but authors suggest the diagnostic standard should be higher than for the general population. Short-term studies indicate nonpharmacological therapy achieves clinical effects for depression in dialysis patients, but research on long-term effects is needed.

SUMMARY

Depression management through early screening and continuous care models emphasizing dynamic relationships between healthcare teams, patients and families should be encouraged. Large-scale studies of short-term and long-term benefits of pharmacological and nonpharmacological depression management are warranted.

Self-reported poor quality of sleep in solid organ transplant: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

High quality sleep of sufficient duration is vital to overall health and wellbeing. Self-reported poor quality of sleep, sleep reported as irregular in timing, marked by frequent awakenings, or shortened in duration, is common across the solid-organ transplant trajectory.

AIM

This Systematic Review aimed to summarize available literature on rates of self-reported poor quality of sleep among solid organ transplant candidates and recipients.

METHODS

A systematic search of published literature was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINHAL, and PsychInfo databases with no date restrictions. Original articles in the English language describing self-reported quality of sleep using standardized questionnaires in adults either waitlisted for, or who received a solid organ transplant (heart, lung, kidney, liver, pancreas, or multi-solid organ) were included.

RESULTS

Of a potential 2054 articles identified, 44 were included (63.6% renal transplant, 20.5% liver transplant, 11.4% lung transplant, and 4.5% included multiple organ transplant populations), with the majority (68.2%) focusing only on post-transplant populations. No included articles focused solely on heart or pancreas transplant populations. On average, the transplant population with the greatest improvement in quality of sleep (reported as poor sleep quality, insomnia, sleep disturbance, or sleep dissatisfaction) from transplant candidacy to post-transplantation were renal transplant (from 53.5% pre, to 38.9% post) followed by liver transplant patients (from 52.8% pre, to 46.3% post), while lung transplant patients remained similar pre- to post-transplantation (55.6% pre, to 52% post). Poor quality of sleep was frequently associated with anxiety and depression, poorer quality of life, restless legs syndrome, and higher comorbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

Reports of poor quality of sleep are highly prevalent across all solid-organ transplant populations, both pre- and post-transplantation. Future studies should assess quality of sleep longitudinally throughout all phases of the transplantation trajectory, with more research focusing on how to optimize sleep in solid organ transplant populations.

The psychological burden of waiting for procedures and patient-centred strategies that could support the mental health of wait-listed patients and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Waiting for procedures delayed by COVID-19 may cause anxiety and related adverse consequences.

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize research on the mental health impact of waiting and patient-centred mitigation strategies that could be applied in the COVID-19 context.

METHODS

Using a scoping review approach, we searched 9 databases for studies on waiting lists and mental health and reported study characteristics, impacts and intervention attributes and outcomes.

RESULTS

We included 51 studies that focussed on organ transplant (60.8%), surgery (21.6%) or cancer management (13.7%). Most patients and caregivers reported anxiety, depression and poor quality of life, which deteriorated with increasing wait time. The impact of waiting on mental health was greater among women and new immigrants, and those of younger age, lower socio-economic status, or with less-positive coping ability. Six studies evaluated educational strategies to develop coping skills: 2 reduced depression (2 did not), 1 reduced anxiety (2 did not) and 2 improved quality of life (2 did not). In contrast, patients desired acknowledgement of concerns, peer support, and periodic communication about wait-list position, prioritization criteria and anticipated procedure date.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings revealed patient-centred strategies to alleviate the mental health impact of waiting for procedures. Ongoing research should explore how to optimize the impact of those strategies for diverse patients and caregivers, particularly in the COVID-19 context.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Six patients and four caregivers waiting for COVID-19-delayed procedures helped to establish eligibility criteria, plan data extraction and review a draft and final report.

Crosslinking Strategies for 3D Bioprinting of Polymeric Hydrogels

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has recently advanced as an important tool to produce viable constructs that can be used for regenerative purposes or as tissue models. To develop biomimetic and sustainable 3D constructs, several important processing aspects need to be considered, among which crosslinking is most important for achieving desirable biomechanical stability of printed structures, which is reflected in subsequent behavior and use of these constructs. In this work, crosslinking methods used in 3D bioprinting studies are reviewed, parameters that affect bioink chemistry are discussed, and the potential toward improving crosslinking outcomes and construct performance is highlighted. Furthermore, current challenges and future prospects are discussed. Due to the direct connection between crosslinking methods and properties of 3D bioprinted structures, this Review can provide a basis for developing necessary modifications to the design and manufacturing process of advanced tissue-like constructs in future.

The Psychosocial Influences of Waiting Periods on Patients Undergoing Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection

This study aimed to clarify psychosocial influences of waiting periods on patients undergoing endoscopic submucosal dissection for cancer at an advanced medical care facility in Japan. Subjects were consenting patients hospitalized from 2009 to 2010. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered about patients' characteristics, disease and stage, and waiting period. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze free statements and interview data. Subjects included 154 patients with an average wait period of 46.28 days for admission. Qualitative analysis revealed the following wait period perceptions. For calmness, results indicated (1) no anxiety, (2) relief based on doctors' positive judgment, (3) whatever happens/no choice, and (4) trust in doctor. For uneasiness, perceptions included (1) the sooner, the better/eagerly waiting, (2) anxiety and concern, and (3) emotional instability. Four waiting period coping types were identified: (1) making phone inquiries, (2) busy and forgot about the medical procedure, (3) relief from anxiety, and (4) unable to function well in daily life. Patients need to be educated about cancer progression and provided an estimated wait time. They also require more information about how to manage daily life such as monitoring factors from the nursing domain including physical condition, digestive symptoms, diet, and exercise.

Current Challenges and Opportunities in PD

Despite the gradual increased use of peritoneal dialysis (PD) globally around the world, it is recognized that a number of areas in PD as a renal-replacement therapy require attention and improvements. The current challenges in PD include how to tackle technique failure and sustain long-term PD, manage and prevent peritoneal infections, malnutrition and inflammation, cardiovascular mortality, volume overload, glucose exposure, adequacy of solute removal, peritoneal access, peritoneal physiology and changes with long-term PD, patient fatigue, psychosocial issues, and care of elderly patients on PD. Obviously, hemodialysis as another renal-replacement therapy modality also has its own areas that need attention and improvement by nephrologists and nurses. With more clinical and basic science research, outcome studies, and through better education and training, together with the implementation of global PD guidelines for enhancing care of PD patients, it is likely that such problem areas in PD gradually will be resolved and PD patient outcomes will be improved.

Horizontal mixture model for competing risks: a method used in waitlisted renal transplant candidates

When a patient is registered on renal transplant waiting list, she/he expects a clear information on the likelihood of being transplanted. Nevertheless, this event is in competition with death and usual models for competing events are difficult to interpret for non-specialists. We used a horizontal mixture model. Data were extracted from two French dialysis and transplantation registries. The "Ile-de-France" region was used for external validation. The other patients were randomly divided for training and internal validation. Seven variables were associated with decreased long-term probability of transplantation: age over 40 years, comorbidities (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, malignancy), dialysis longer than 1 year before registration and blood groups O or B. We additionally demonstrated longer mean time-to-transplantation for recipients under the age of 50, overweight recipients, recipients with blood group O or B and with pre-transplantation anti-HLA class I or II immunization. Our model can be used to predict the long-term probability of transplantation and the time in dialysis among transplanted patients, two easily interpretable parts. Discriminative capacities were validated on both the internal and external (AUC at 5 years = 0.72, 95% CI from 0.68 to 0.76) validation samples. However, calibration issues were highlighted and illustrated the importance of complete re-estimation of the model for other countries. We illustrated the ease of interpretation of horizontal modelling, which constitutes an alternative to sub-hazard or cause-specific approaches. Nevertheless, it would be useful to test this in practice, for instance by questioning both the physicians and the patients. We believe that this model should also be used in other chronic diseases, for both etiologic and prognostic studies.

Benefits of Group Psychotherapy in Cirrhotic Patients on the Liver Transplant Waiting List

INTRODUCTION

It is well-known that patients on the liver transplant (LT) waiting list experience a high rate of psychopathologic symptoms. However, few studies have been published about the use of group psychotherapy for these patients. We sought to assess (1) the psychopathologic data in patients on the LT waiting list and (2) the attitude toward a group psychotherapy procedure and its efficacy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In the pretransplant consultation phase, group therapy was offered to 20 patients on the LT waiting list. Patients who received psychotherapy were assessed previously using the Beck Depression Inventory.

RESULTS

Fifteen patients were included in the study. Significant differences were found between the psychopathologic assessment and the level of hepatopathy. In the first session, we observed that patients with hepatocarcinoma were much more reluctant to participate in the group therapy. In the second session, the group showed a high level of anxiety connected with a fear of transplantation. In the third session, a transplant physician answered all their questions, and at the end of the session patient anxiety had decreased. During the following sessions, family bonds and sharing experiences with other transplant patients were emphasized.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients were initially reluctant to participate in the group psychotherapy, although this changed as sessions proceeded. It is necessary to provide more information about the transplant procedure itself to decrease anxiety. Group therapy was valued positively by all patients who participated.

Sustainability of the Peritoneal Dialysis-First Policy in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the average annual cost of haemodialysis (HD) per patient is more than double of that of peritoneal dialysis (PD). As the number of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has surged, it has posed a great financial burden to the government and society. A PD-first policy has been implemented in Hong Kong for three decades based on its cost-effectiveness, and has achieved successful outcomes throughout the years. A successful PD-first policy requires medical expertise in PD, the support of dedicated staff and a well-designed patient training programme. Addressing patients' PD problems is the key to sustainability of the PD-first policy. In this article, we highlight three important groups of patients: those with frequent peritonitis, ultrafiltration failure or inadequate dialysis. Potential strategies to improve the outcomes of these groups will be discussed. Moreover, enhancing HD as back-up support and promoting organ transplantation are needed in order to maintain sustainability of the PD-first policy.

Renal registry in Hong Kong-the first 20 years

Renal Registry was started by the Hospital Authority (HA) in Hong Kong in 1995. It is an online system developed by HA. It collects all patients under care in HA, which is about 90–95 % of all requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Hong Kong. The total number of patients treated increased from 3312 in 1996 to 8510 in 2013. In 2013, there were 3501 renal transplant, 1192 hemodialysis (HD) and 3817 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. In 2013, 1147 new patients joined the RRT program, 49.6% of them suffered from diabetic nephropathy. Glomerulonephritis and hypertension are the 2nd and 3rd most common causes of RRT in Hong Kong. The median age was 59.1 years with male to female ratio of 1.54 to 1. Hong Kong practices ‘PD first' policy and the majority of the patients are on CAPD treatment. The ratio of PD to HD was 76.2% to 23.8%. Eighty-six percent of all PD patients are on CAPD; the remaining 14% are on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD). Sixty-five percent of all dialysis patients are on erythropoiesis-stimulating agent treatment. The Hong Kong Renal Registry with online real-time data input and access can provide timely data and information to facilitate patient care and management and also provides invaluable data to help in development and planning of renal services in Hong Kong.

Assessing psychosocial vulnerability and care needs of pretransplant patients by means of the INTERMED

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether the INTERMED, a generic instrument for assessing biopsychosocial case complexity and direct care, identifies organ transplant patients at risk of unfavourable post-transplant development by comparing it to the Transplant Evaluation Rating Scale (TERS), the established measure for pretransplant psychosocial evaluation.

METHOD

One hundred nineteen kidney, liver, and heart transplant candidates were evaluated using the INTERMED, TERS, SF-36, EuroQol, Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale (HADS).

RESULTS

We found significant relationships between the INTERMED and the TERS scores. The INTERMED highly correlated with the HADS,MADRS, and mental and physical health scores of the SF-36 Health Survey.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate the validity and usefulness of the INTERMED instrument for pretransplant evaluation. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate the different qualities of INTERMED and TERS in clinical practice. The advantages of the psychiatric focus of the TERS and the biopsychosocial perspective of the INTERMED are discussed in the context of current literature on integrated care.