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Quality of life after complicated elective surgery requiring intensive care

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate outcomes of patients admitted to the ICU for complications after elective surgery and to assess perceived quality of life (pQOL) in survivors.

Design

Two-year prospective case-control study.

Setting

Twelve-bed ICU in a university-affiliated hospital.

Patients

Patients admitted to the ICU for a complication following elective surgery were included. Six months after discharge, pQOL was assessed using the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Results were compared to those of matched controls without complications.

Interventions

None

Measurements and results

Of the 182 patients, 124 were alive after 6 months, among whom 116 had 6-month data and 104 of these had matched controls. Overall pQOL as assessed by the global NHP score was similar in both groups (median, 0.82 and 0.87 in cases and controls; P=0.24). NHP subscores showed significantly worse pain (P=0.03) and physical impairment (P=0.02) in the ICU patients. In the multivariate analysis, pQOL was better in patients with cancer as the reason for surgery (P=0.05). Severity of illness at inclusion had no influence on subsequent pQOL, but cardiovascular dysfunction was associated with decreased energy (P=0.04).

Conclusions

Although overall pQOL was satisfactory after 6 months, patients admitted to the ICU for postoperative complications had worse pain and physical impairment than controls. Whether these outcomes could be improved by early physiotherapy and aggressive pain management deserves investigation.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Jean-Yves Fagon for his expert advice and Dr. A. Wolfe for reviewing the manuscript. We are also grateful to C. Bonnet, Dr. R. Caliandro, Dr. N. Cathala, A. Chenevez, Dr. C. Denet, C. Frérot RN, and Dr. J. Temkine, for assistance with data collection and screening.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Réanimation Polyvalente, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, 42 Boulevard Jourdan, 75674, Paris, France

    Christian Lamer, Lyes Knani, Laurent Tric & Jean-Luc LeGuillou

  2. INSERM U 472, Villejuif, France

    Marc Harboun, David Moreau, Isabelle Gasquet & Thierry Moreau

Authors
  1. Christian Lamer
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  2. Marc Harboun
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  3. Lyes Knani
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  5. Laurent Tric
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  6. Jean-Luc LeGuillou
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  7. Isabelle Gasquet
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  8. Thierry Moreau
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Correspondence to Christian Lamer.

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Lamer, C., Harboun, M., Knani, L. et al. Quality of life after complicated elective surgery requiring intensive care. Intensive Care Med 30, 1594–1601 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-004-2260-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-004-2260-2

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