Influence of Pain on the Quality of Life and Disease Acceptance in Patients with Complicated Diabetic Foot Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between pain and quality of life and illness acceptance, anxiety and depression in a group of patients with complicated diabetic foot syndrome, following lower limb amputation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The studies were carried out in three stages: 7 days, 6 months and 12 months after surgery in a group of 100 patients after amputation of the lower limb due to complications resulting from type 2 diabetes. The study was performed using standardised instruments: WHOQOL-BREF, the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain intensity assessment. RESULTS: Pain occurred in the examined patients throughout the study. The greatest intensity of pain was observed in the postoperative period and significantly weakened over time. Pain intensity was significantly associated with worse overall QoL perceived (−0.255, p=0.011/-0.283, p=0.005) and QoL scores in the physical and psychological domains at the first and second stage of the study (physical domains −0.257, p=0.011/-0.219, p=0.03 and psychological −0.22, p=0.029/-0.24/0.018). The intensity of pain negatively correlates with the acceptance of the disease in all three stages of the study, the greater the severity of pain, the lower the acceptance of illness (−0.298, p=0.003/-0.326, p=0.001/-0.26, p=0.009). The occurrence of anxiety and depression is highly dependent on the severity of pain, especially at the first and second stage of the study (anxiety 0.203, p=0.045/0.257, p=0.01, depression 0.299, p=0.003/0.253, p=0.012). The stronger the pain, the greater the severity of mood disorders. CONCLUSION: Pain and its severity are associated with QoL in the patients with complicated diabetic foot syndrome following lower limb amputation. Disease acceptance was lower in patients experiencing more severe pain at all stages of the study. There is an association of pain with the occurrence of anxiety and depression in amputees, especially 6 months after surgery.