Post-Intensive Care Syndrome in Covid-19 Patients Discharged From the Intensive Care Unit.
Sevda Gardashkhani, Mehdi Ajri-Khameslou, Mehdi Heidarzadeh and 1 others
PMID 34534991WHAT IT FOUND
Most patients discharged from the ICU (69%) reported mild to moderate PICS symptoms, especially functional problems.
Older age and longer time after discharge were associated with higher symptom scores.
Key findings
0169% of patients discharged from the ICU had mild to moderate PICS symptoms.
02Functional problems were the most common PICS dimension, with low physical ability and difficulty in daily activities.
03Only age and time after ICU discharge had a significant relationship with total PICS scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was descriptive and looked at associations, so it cannot show that age or time after discharge caused more PICS. The analysis included 84 patients, which is a relatively small sample. Patients were assessed by telephone using self-report, and some could not be reached because they died, refused, or were too ill to answer. Ten patients were excluded for severe cognitive impairment, so the cognitive findings may understate how common cognitive problems are. The study excluded people with prior mental or cognitive illness or prior physical weakness, so it may not apply to patients with those conditions.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict-of-interest declaration is included in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that cognitive impairment is uncommon after intensive care discharge. Ten patients were excluded because they had severe cognitive impairment, and the cognitive results were self-report, so the study could not accurately estimate cognitive impairment.