title: Quality of life of survivors from severe sepsis and septic shock may be similar to that of others who survive critical illness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of the present study was to compare the health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) of survivors from severe sepsis and septic shock with HR-QoL in others who survived critical illness not involving sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From March 1997 to March 2001, adult patients in an eight-bed medical/surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary care hospital admitted with severe sepsis or septic shock (sepsis group; n = 305) were enrolled and compared with patients admitted without sepsis (control group; n = 392). Patients younger than 18 years (n = 48) and those whose ICU stay was 1 day or less (n = 453) were excluded. In addition, patients exhibiting nonsevere sepsis on admission were excluded (n = 87). Finally, patients who developed nonsevere sepsis or severe sepsis/septic shock after admission were also excluded (n = 88).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In-hospital mortality rates were 34% in the sepsis group and 26% in the control group. There were no differences in sex, age, main activity (work status), and previous health state between groups. Survivors in the sepsis group had a significantly higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score on admission (17 versus 12) and stayed significantly longer in the ICU. A follow-up appointment was held 6 months after ICU discharge, and an EQ-5D (EuroQol five-dimension) questionnaire was administered. A total of 104 sepsis survivors and 133 survivors in the control group answered the EQ-5D questionnaire. Sepsis survivors reported significantly fewer problems only in the anxiety/depression dimension. Although there were no significant differences in the other dimensions of the EQ-5D, there was a trend towards fewer problems being reported by sepsis survivors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evaluation using the EQ-5D at 6 months after ICU discharge indicated that survivors from severe sepsis and septic shock have a similar HR-QoL to that of survivors from critical illness admitted without sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Matosinhos, Portugal. cristinagranja@oninet.pt
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Granja
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Altamiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costa-Pereira
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarmento
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D018805:Sepsis / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*