Fatigue is a lack of energy or feeling of debilitating tiredness. It is a symptom commonly experienced by many patients, including those with digestive system disorders such as end-stage liver disease. In fact, fatigue can often contribute to the need for liver transplantation in patients with this condition. However, little research has been conducted on fatigue following liver transplantation until now.

"This is the first study to provide information on both the severity and nature of fatigue after liver transplantation, and on factors associated with the severity of fatigue," the authors noted in a recent press release.

The study was led by Rita van den Berg-Emons, Ph.D. of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. It was based on both researchers' assessments and self-administered questionnaires of 96 liver transplant patients who visited the hospital's outpatient clinic between the months of February and June of 2003.

Subjects were instructed to complete the Fatigue Severity Scale, which measured the severity of their fatigue; the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, which measured the nature of their fatigue; and two other questionnaires, which measured their level of disability and their health-related quality of life, respectively. In addition, the researchers assessed factors such as the subjects' gender, age, reason for transplantation, time of transplantation and medication regime.

Results indicated that 66 percent of the patients were fatigued and 44 percent were extremely fatigued. In addition, there did not appear to be a reduction in fatigue over time.

Patients did not report experiencing mental fatigue or reduced motivation following transplantation.

According to the authors "These findings imply that rehabilitation programs, focusing on improving activity patterns and physical fitness, may reduce complaints of fatigue after liver transplantation. However, the effect of rehabilitation on fatigue has to be established in future research."

The study appears in the June 2006 issue of Liver Transplantation.

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