this is post ICU syndrome

Overcome a serious illness and get out of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) It does not always mean returning to the previous life. For many patients and families, going through the ICU is a profound change both physically, emotionally and socially, with some consequences that last after hospital discharge. Knowing why these consequences appear, who are the most vulnerable and how they can be prevented is very important to achieve a real recovery with a high quality of life.

In this context, the doctor Angela Alonso Oviesphysician of the Intensive Medicine Service of the Fuenlabrada University Hospitalmentions that “a stay in the ICU due to a serious illness represents a before and after in the lives of most patients and their families.” According to Europa Press Salud Infosalus, the role of health professionals is not limited to saving lives, but to promoting a good recovery. “This forces us to look beyond, to analyze our actions with a longer-term perspective, being aware that what we do or do not do at any given moment can have repercussions on the recovery and quality of life of patients.”

Furthermore, it highlights the importance of intervening in prevention. “Prevention requires investment in qualified professionals and technical means, but this investment quickly pays off by shortening the hospitalization process and returning recovered, independent and useful people to society.”

More vulnerable profiles after a stay in the ICU

The expert explains that any patient who passes through the ICU may suffer consequencesalthough these will be more frequent and serious the greater the severity of the condition and the duration of admission. Some factors such as prolonged immobilization, sedation, mechanical ventilation or poor pain control can have a decisive influence.

In addition, it points out as risk groups patients with shock, older people, frail people and children, who can develop the so-called post-pediatric ICU syndrome.

Preventive measures within the ICU

To reduce these consequences, Ángela Alonso highlights the importance of act during admission with adequate clinical management, which requires good pain control, correct use of sedatives, treatment of delirium and adequate nutrition. Furthermore, it highlights the need to start mobilization and physical rehabilitation as soon as possible to avoid loss of strength and muscle mass.

Added to all this is attention to dysphagia, early neurocognitive rehabilitation and psychological support for patients and their families. Alonso mentions that this approach must be interdisciplinary, incorporating physiotherapists, rehabilitators, speech therapists, psychologists or neuropsychologists.

Likewise, it insists on the humanization of care, promoted by the HU-CI projectwhich promotes the participation of family members and the comprehensive well-being of the patient. “This includes such obvious measures as adequate communication, taking care of rest and night sleep, providing means of entertainment and connection with the outside world, and, always, promoting respect for the dignity of the person.”

Follow-up after hospital discharge

Once the admission is exceeded, the doctor considers subsequent control key. “It is vital maintain regular monitoring“, he states, indicating that there are post-ICU follow-up consultations where the patient’s sequelae, as well as their quality of life and environment, are evaluated.

“The patient’s complete recovery requires that we assess each area, since they feed off each other positively or negatively,” he explains, insisting that the coordinated work must continue after discharge from the hospital in case the patient needs it.

Finally, it highlights the value of these consultations for professionals, as it allows them to improve care within the ICU wards. The manual Approach to post-intensive care syndrome is framed in this area, a work that brings together current knowledge on prevention, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of this pathology.