Experience from multidisciplinary follow-up on critically ill patients treated in an intensive care unit

International literature describes that former intensive care unit (ICU) patients suffer considerable physical and neuropsychological complications. Systematic data on Danish ICU survivors are scarce as standardised follow-up after intensive care has yet to be described. This article describes and evaluates the knowledge gained from outpatient follow-up at a tertiary intensive care unit at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, during a three-year period.

A total of 101 adult former ICU patients attended the outpatient clinic over a three-year period. Patients included were medical and surgical patients with a length of stay exceeding four days. Patients attended the clinic after discharge from hospital and for a minimum of two months from their discharge from the ICU. The patients were assessed for physical, neuropsychological and psychological problems and, if necessary, further treatment or rehabilitation was initiated.

Reduced physical ability was seen in 82%. A total of 89% suffered a substantial weight loss. 83.2% had signs indicating acute brain dysfunction during the ICU stay, and approximately half of the patients still had cognitive problems. A total of 66 interventions were initiated.

Our data confirmed that a large proportion of ICU survivors suffer considerable long-term physical and neuropsychological sequelae. Intensive care follow-up may contribute to address these specific problems and to initiate the needed interventions. Research is needed to determine whether specialised rehabilitation is required.

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