title: Physical and Mental Health of Patients Immediately After Discharge From Intensive Care Unit and 24 Hours Later.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Monitoring the health status of patients discharged from intensive care units is a crucial method of service evaluation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to assess the physical and mental health status of patients immediately after discharge from the ICU and 24 hours later.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive comparative study was conducted on 104 patients discharged from the ICUs of a referral trauma center in Shiraz, Southwest Iran. Physical parameters, including respiratory rate, need for supplemental oxygen, heart rate, blood pressure, and need for cardiac monitoring, were assessed. Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) was used for mental health evaluation. The mental and physical status of patients were assessed before ICU discharge and 24 hours later; data were recorded in information forms and were analyzed using SPSS statistical software version 17.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the time of discharge, the respiratory rate of 28% of the participants was more than 24 minutes, and 95.2% received supplemental oxygen. However, after 24 hours these values decreased to 10% and 21.6%, respectively. The mean heart rate and systolic blood pressure were within the normal range at both time points. Additionally, 63% of the patients had anxiety scores above 11 at both time points, reflecting high anxiety. The number of patients who reported depression increased from 58.7% at ICU discharge to 69.6% after 24 hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the considerable improvement in most of the patients' physical condition in the first 24 hours after discharge from ICU, a significant number of them remain at risk for the development of adverse effects from this transition. The high prevalence of mental health disorders in these patients reveals the necessity to conduct follow-up consultations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Marzieh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Momennasab
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Tahereh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ghahramani
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Care Research Center, Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Shahrzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yektatalab
authors.affiliation: Anesthesiology and Critical Care Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zand
keywords: Intensive Care Units; Mental Health; Patient Discharge; Physical Status