Hospitals Take On Post-ICU Syndrome, Helping Patients Recover

More patients who have been treated in the intensive-care unit (ICU) are experiencing negative side effects after release, which doctors call “post-intensive care syndrome.” Some of the life-saving measures that are used to keep patients pain-free and breathing can lead to “ICU delirium,” a temporary brain injury that can negatively impact memory and brain functioning. The Society of Critical Care Medicine estimates that 80% of patients who survive the ICU experience this type of cognitive impairment, while others suffer from depression, fatigue, and post-traumatic stress-like symptoms. Those who develop sepsis, or blood poisoning because of infection, have an even higher risk of suffering from post-ICU syndrome, delirium, and disabilities. This has led many hospitals to make changes to common ICU practices, by providing breaks for those on ventilators, making sure patients aren't over-sedated, and getting patients up and moving as soon as possible. As E. Wesley Ely, a professor of medicine and critical care at Vanderbilt University, says, “Right now they essentially go home and become couch potatoes, their life is terrible, and they often end up back in the hospital. We need to restructure critical care to handle the needs of ICU survivors.” The Sepsis Alliance is also working on developing educational materials to give patients and is utilizing social media as a tool. A Vanderbilt study shows that completing in-home cognitive and physical rehabilitation for 12 weeks increases post-ICU patients' test scores when it comes to planning and completing tasks.

The Wall Street Journal, 11/25/13