Title : Prevalence and influential factors of frailty in liver transplant candidates: a single center cross sectional study
Abstract:
Background Frailty has consistently been shown to be a critical determinant of liver transplant outcomes, including hospitalizations, and mortality both before and after liver transplantation. However, few studies have focused on frailty and its associations in liver transplant candidates.
Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of frailty and its influential factors in liver transplant candidates.
Methods The convenience sampling method was used to select 145 liver transplant candidates who hospitalized in the Department of Liver Transplantation of a tertiary hospital in China from July 2022 to July 2023. They were investigated by the general patient data, Fried Frailty phenotype, Barthel Index, Nutrition Risk Screening 2002, General Health Status Scale. Statistical methods including single factor and multifactor analysis were conducted for influencing factors of frailty in liver transplant candidates.
Results The pre-frailty and frailty rates in 145 liver transplant candidates were 42.1% and 45.5%, respectively, and only 12.4% were non-frailty. The results of ordered multiple Logistic regression showed that age, total bilirubin, hemoglobin, and general health status were influential factors in the frailty of liver transplant candidates (P<0.05). Conclusion liver transplant candidates have a high incidence of frailty. Age, total bilirubin, hemoglobin, and general health status are influential factors in frailty. Nurses should pay attention to the assessment of frailty in liver transplant candidates, and take timely and targeted nursing interventions to prevent or delay the occurrence and development of frailty.
