Fatigue management in patients with IBD: A randomised controlled trial

Lauran Vogelaar*, Adriaan Van't Spijker, Reinier Timman, Antonie J.P. Van Tilburg, Dirk Jan Bac, Ton Vogelaar, Ernst J. Kuipers, Jan J.V. Van Busschbach, Christien J. Van Der Woude

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

74 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of solution-focused therapy (SFT) on fatigue and quality of life (QoL) in patients with fatigued inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Design: Randomised controlled trial in two Dutch hospitals. Patients with IBD with quiescent IBD and with a Checklist Individual Strength - Fatigue (CIS - fatigue) score of ≥35 were enrolled. Patients were 1:1 randomised to receive SFT or care as usual (CAU) for 3 months. Patients were followed for a further 6 months after the SFT. Primary endpoint was defined as changes in fatigue and QoL during follow-up. Secondary endpoints included change in anxiety and depression, medication use, side effects to medication, disease activity, laboratory parameters (C-reactive protein, leucocytes and haemoglobin) and sleep quality. Results: Ninety-eight patients were included, of whom 63% were women, mean age was 40.1 years. After the SFT course, 17 (39%) patients in the SFT group had a CIS-fatigue score below 35 compared with eight (18%) of patients in the CAU group (p=0.03). The SFT group also showed a greater reduction in fatigue across the first 6 months compared with the CAU group (CIS-fatigue: p=<0.001 and CIS-total: p=0.001). SFT was associated with a significant higher mean IBD questionnaire change at 3 months (p=0.020). At 9 months, no significant differences between the two groups were observed. Conclusions: SFT has a significant beneficial effect on the severity of fatigue and QoL in patients with quiescent IBD. However, this effect diminished during follow-up.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)911-918
Number of pages8
JournalGut
Volume63
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 1 2014
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Gastroenterology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Fatigue management in patients with IBD: A randomised controlled trial'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this