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Follow-up after intensive care: a single center study

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Abstract

Objectives

To study health problems, quality of life, functional status, and memory after intensive care.

Setting

Adult patients (n=346) discharged from a university hospital ICU.

Design and methods

Prospective cohort study. Follow-up patients were found using the ICU database and the Peoples Registry. Quality of life (QOL) was measured with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) 6 months after ICU discharge. Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, Glasgow Outcome Score (recovery), and Karnofsky Index (functional status) were used at consultations 7–8 months after ICU discharge.

Results

The SF-36 response rate was 64.5%, with scores significantly lower than population scores. Consultation patients (n=136) did not differ from the rest (n=210) regarding age, SAPS II scores, length of stay (LOS), and reasons for ICU admission. At follow-up 67.6% of consultation patients continued most activities, 75% looked after themselves, and 64.7% were non-workers, compared to 40.4% before the ICU admission. During and after the ICU stay, 40% lost more than 10 kg body weight. Fifty-eight (43%) could not remember anything from their ICU stay. At follow-up only 22 (16%) could remember having received information during their ICU stay. Three patients needed referral to other specialities.

Conclusions

We should focus more on optimizing symptom management and giving repeated information after ICU discharge. Nutritional status and weight loss is another area of concern. More research is needed to find out how the broad range of psychosocial and physical problems following an ICU stay relates to the stay.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021, Bergen, Norway

    Reidar Kvåle, Atle Ulvik & Hans Flaatten

Authors
  1. Reidar Kvåle
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  2. Atle Ulvik
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  3. Hans Flaatten
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Correspondence to Reidar Kvåle.

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Kvåle, R., Ulvik, A. & Flaatten, H. Follow-up after intensive care: a single center study. Intensive Care Med 29, 2149–2156 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-003-2034-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-003-2034-2

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