Patients' Outcomes After Acute Respiratory Failure: A Qualitative Study With the PROMIS Framework.
Michelle N Eakin, Yashika Patel, Pedro Mendez-Tellez and 3 others
PMID 29092868WHAT IT FOUND
After acute respiratory failure, survivors described fatigue, breathlessness, fear of illness, memory and word-finding difficulty, and changed work and relationships.
Some reported gratitude and closer relationships, while others felt isolated or wished they had died.
Key findings
01Participants frequently described pulmonary symptoms including dyspnea, coughing, or chest tightness, and continued use of supplemental oxygen was a major difficulty.
02Survivors described cognitive difficulties including memory loss, difficulty with organization and planning, inattention, and word-finding problems.
03Changes in employment status were especially distressing because of increased financial strain, inability to provide for dependent family members, and feelings of being a burden.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPsWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 48 interviews were completed among 59 invited survivors, and the study did not describe the experiences of those who died, refused, or could not be contacted. Interviews were guided by the PROMIS framework, and probing about specific physical, mental, and social domains may have influenced which outcomes were mentioned. PROMIS measures were developed for chronic diseases, and the authors state that they cannot be assumed to match the experiences of critical illness survivors. The study used a convenience sample, some interviews were shortened because of participant health, and qualitative research has potential for participant and researcher bias. The study reports themes from interviews, not measured outcomes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that a treatment caused, prevented, or improved post-ICU problems. The study interviewed survivors and described their experiences; it did not test an intervention.