The following is a summary of “Cognitive Impairment, Physical Impairment, and Psychological Symptoms in Intensive Care Unit Survivors ,” published in the November 2023 issue of Critical Care by Proffitt et al.
Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) affects 25% to 50% of ICU survivors, and the compounding of cognitive, physical, and psychological impairments could intensify the syndrome.
Researchers started a retrospective study examining the relationships between PICS impairments, delirium status, ICU discharge, and 1-month outcomes.
They conducted a descriptive, correlational study involving adult ICU survivors. Participants underwent assessments for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, physical function, functional status, and cognition both at ICU discharge and one month later. Explored connections among PICS impairments via Spearman correlations and evaluated differences in impairments based on delirium status using t-tests.
The results showed that of 50 participants, 46 underwent PICS impairment screening at ICU discharge, while 35 were screened one month later. Cognitive issues were most common in both assessments. A positive relationship was observed between cognition and functional status at ICU discharge (ρ = 0.50, P=.001) and one month later (ρ = 0.54, P=.001). There was a positive correlation between cognition and physical functioning one month after discharge (ρ = 0.46, P=.006). Notably, at ICU discharge, the group affected by delirium exhibited significantly lower functional status scores than those without delirium (P=.04).
Investigators concluded that ICU survivors with cognitive impairment may have delayed physical recovery and a greater risk of injury.
