The functional outcome of patients requiring over 28 days of intensive care: a long-term follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
To measure functional outcome of long-stay intensive care unit patients in the Australian population.


METHODS
All 68 patients admitted between July 2000 and July 2002 who spent 28 consecutive days or longer in a 30-bed university-affiliated medical-surgical ICU.


METHODS
Glasgow Outcome Scores were recorded by chart review or telephone in the third quarter of 2003, giving a follow-up of 1-3 years (mean, 2 years).


RESULTS
Patients comprised 22 trauma (32%), 16 cardiothoracic (24%) and 15 each (22%) general medical and surgical patients. Average age was 59.2 years (SD, 18.3 years), and mean APACHE II score was 22.2 (range, 7-52). Fourteen of 68 patients (21%) died during the hospital admission. Of the 54 patients discharged, 53 were followed up, and one was untraceable. Nineteen of these 53 (36%) had died. Of the 34 survivors (64% of hospital survivors, 50% of long-stay ICU patients), 17 (50%) were leading normal active lives, 15 (44%) were disabled but independent, with two (6%) needing daily support. None were in a persistent vegetative state.


CONCLUSIONS
Of 68 long-stay ICU patients, an average of 2 years after discharge, 50% were alive, including 25% living normal active lives. The remaining 25% described some disability. In most cases (88%), this was mild: only two patients (3% of the total group) depended on daily support. No patients were left in a persistent vegetative state.
O'Brien
Brian P
BP
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, The Mater Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. drbobrien@hotmail.com
Butt
Warwick
W
Suhr
Helge
H
Bimpeh
Yaw
Y
McKenna
Anne-Marie
AM
Bailey
Michael J J
MJ
Scheinkestel
Carlos D D
CD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D016638:Critical Illness; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function