Does lung transplantation affect on the improvement of psychological status in patients with adult cystic fibrosis?

Objectives: Lung transplantation is a complex, high- risk, potentially life-saving therapy for the patient with the end-stage of cystic fibrosis (CF). The decision to pursue transplantation involves comparing the likelihood of survival with and without transplantation as well as assessing the effect of wait-listing and transplantation on the patient's quality of life. The aim of this study was to examine is there a difference in psychological status between CF patients who have not been transplanted and CF lung transplant recipients. Methods: Two patient groups, adult CF patients (N=22) and adult CF lung transplant recipients (N=6), participated in our study. The patients completed Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ 9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD 7). These data were compared to health status data, including pulmonary function testing and nutritional status measures. Results: In adult CF group, 52% of patients had mild to moderate anxiety and 95% mild to moderate depression. In adult CF lung transplant recipients group, 17% of subjects had minimal anxiety and 83% had minimal depression. Conclusion: In this study we find significant difference in the level of anxiety and depression between CF patients who have not been transplanted and CF lung transplant recipients. Lung transplantation in CF patient significantly contributed to the improvement of the psychological condition and quality of life.