Characteristics and Outcomes of Intensive Care Unit Survivors: Experience of a Multidisciplinary Outpatient Clinic in a Teaching Hospital

Authors

  • Péricles A.D. Duarte Hospital Universitario do Oeste do Parana; Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Geral
  • Jaquilene Barreto Costa Hospital Universitario do Oeste do Parana; Departamento de Psicologia
  • Silvana Trilo Duarte Hospital Universitario do Oeste do Parana; Departamento de Fonoaudiologia
  • Sheila Taba Hospital Universitario do Oeste do Parana; Departamento de Psicologia
  • Claudia Regina Felicetti Lordani Hospital Universitario do Oeste do Parana; Departamento de Nutricao Clinica
  • Erica Fernanda Osaku Hospital Universitario do Oeste do Parana; Departamento de Fisioterapia
  • Claudia Rejane Lima Macedo Costa Hospital Universitario do Oeste do Parana; Departamento de Fisioterapia
  • Dalas Cristina Miglioranza Hospital Universitario do Oeste do Parana; Departamento de Servico Social
  • Daniela Prochnow Gund Hospital Universitario do Oeste do Parana; Departamento de Servico Social
  • Amaury Cesar Jorge Hospital Universitario do Oeste do Parana; Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Geral

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6061/clinics/2017(12)08

Keywords:

Critical Care, Epidemiology, Rehabilitation, Quality of Life

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To describe the experience of an outpatient clinic with the multidisciplinary evaluation of intensive care unit survivors and to analyze their social, psychological, and physical characteristics in a low-income population and a developing country. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study. Adult survivors from a general intensive care unit were evaluated three months after discharge in a post-intensive care unit outpatient multidisciplinary clinic over a period of 6 years (2008-2014) in a University Hospital in southern Brazil. RESULTS: A total of 688 out of 1945 intensive care unit survivors received care at the clinic. Of these, 45.2% had psychological disorders (particularly depression), 49.0% had respiratory impairments (abnormal spirometry), and 24.6% had moderate to intense dyspnea during daily life activities. Patients experienced weight loss during hospitalization (mean=11.7%) but good recovery after discharge (mean gain=9.1%), and 94.6% were receiving nutrition orally. One-third of patients showed a reduction of peripheral muscular strength, and 5.7% had moderate to severe tetraparesis or tetraplegia. There was a significant impairment in quality of life (SF-36), particularly in the physical and emotional aspects and in functional capacity. The economic impacts on the affected families, which were mostly low-income families, were considerable. Most patients did not have full access to rehabilitation services, even though half of the families were receiving financial support from the government. CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of intensive care unit survivors evaluated 3 months after discharge had psychological, respiratory, motor, and socioeconomic problems; these findings highlight that strategies aimed to assist critically ill patients should be extended to the post-hospitalization period and that this problem is particularly important in low-income populations.

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Published

2017-12-01

Issue

Section

Clinical Sciences

How to Cite

Duarte, P. A., Costa, J. B., Duarte, S. T., Taba, S., Lordani, C. R. F., Osaku, E. F., Costa, C. R. L. M., Miglioranza, D. C., Gund, D. P., & Jorge, A. C. (2017). Characteristics and Outcomes of Intensive Care Unit Survivors: Experience of a Multidisciplinary Outpatient Clinic in a Teaching Hospital. Clinics, 72(12), 764-772. https://doi.org/10.6061/clinics/2017(12)08