Ying Chen,1 Mengxia Yan,1 Haoyan Chen,1 Yanan Sheng,2 Zhenhua Wang,3 Bin Wu1 

1Clinical Research Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 201112, People’s Republic of China; 2Medical Affairs, Takeda (China) International Trading Company, Beijing, 100006, People’s Republic of China; 3Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 201112, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Bin Wu, Tel/Fax +86-21-68383427, Email scilwsjtu-wb@yahoo.com

Purpose: Understanding the quality of life and the factors that influence it for patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS) and their caregivers is of utmost importance in order to enhance their well-being. Therefore, This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of SBS on patients and their caregivers, as well as its associated factors, by synthesizing the available evidence.
Methods: A systematic review of the literature was done using PubMed, Embase databases, CNKI, and ISPOR conference papers. Included articles were manually searched to identify any other relevant studies. Quality was assessed using appropriate Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools.
Results: This review included 16 studies, comprising 15 observational studies and 1 randomized controlled trial. The findings revealed that the QoL of patients with SBS was lower than that of the general population regarding physical functioning and psychological domain. Meanwhile, caregivers experienced challenges in maintaining their QoL. The QoL of SBS patients was found to be influenced by various factors such as treatment, age, sex, stoma, and small intestine length. Among them, the treatment is the most noteworthy factor that can be effectively improved through external interventions.
Conclusion: While numerous studies have provided insights into the compromised QoL experienced by individuals with SBS and their caregivers, there remains a scarcity of large-sample quantitative investigations examining the determinants of QoL. The existing body of literature on caregivers is also notably deficient.

Keywords: caregiver, malabsorption, quality of life, short bowel syndrome, stoma, age