Survival and quality of life of patients treated in intensive care unit
Background: The aims of our study were to determine short-term and long-term survival of critically ill surgical patients and to assess quality of life of survivors of critical illness.Methods: In observational study we included all patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) during...
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| Published in: | Zdravniški vestnik (Ljubljana, Slovenia : 1992) Vol. 76 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Slovenian Medical Association
01-12-2007
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Background: The aims of our study were to determine short-term and long-term survival of critically ill surgical patients and to assess quality of life of survivors of critical illness.Methods: In observational study we included all patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) during a 1-year period (January 2003 through December 2003). Quality of life was assessed after 2 years following intensive care admission for surviving patients using the EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D) questionnaire.Results: A total of 325 patients were included in the study. 70 patients died on surgical intensive care (21.5 % mortality), a further 40 died on the general ward after SICU discharge (hospital mortality 33.8 %) and 41 following discharge home (2-year mortality 46.9 %). For those surviving intensive care first year mortality was almost 8 times higher and second year mortality almost 6 times higher than that of an age- and sex-matched general population. We had assessed quality of life in 94 patients (55 %) of 171 surviving patients after 2 years. The mean EQ-5D was 0.70 ± 0.25. 86 % of patients reported a problem in at least one dimension of EQ-5D. Most of surviving patients 93.6 % (88/94) returned to home. 50 % (13/26) of patients who were employed before SICU admission were back at their previous work after 2 years.Conclusions: Intensive care survivors have also higher mortality rate after hospital discharge compared with that of the general population. Most of patients returned to home after surviving critical illness and lived contentedly, but only 50 % of patients who were employed before SICU admission were back at their previous work after 2 years. |
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| ISSN: | 1318-0347 1581-0224 |