Survivors of Critical Illness Can Regain Good Health

A comprehensive study of long-term outcomes has found that even the sickest of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) can regain good physical functioning and quality of life. The findings were reported in the February 20, 2003, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers followed 109 patients at three months, six months, and 12 months after discharge from ICUs at five teaching hospitals of the University of Toronto (Canada; www.utoronto.ca). All patients had suffered from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is associated with the development of multiple organ failure and has a mortality rate of 60%.

The researchers used indicators such as distance walked in six minutes, ability to work, and a quality-of-life questionnaire. They found that survivors achieved 66% of the exercise capacity of healthy normal patients, 49% had returned to work, and quality of life had steadily improved. However, survivors continued to have some muscle wasting and weakness.

"It is encouraging to us as critical care physicians to know that so many people regain good function, especially given how severe their illness was while we were treating them in the hospital,” said lead author Dr. Margaret Herridge, associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. The study also highlights the need for long-term outpatient clinics for survivors of critical illness, noted Dr. Herridge.




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