Do Danish ICU Survivors Remain Employed After ICU Discharge? A Register-Based Longitudinal Cohort Study

Admission to ICU is associated with long-term consequences for the survivors. The study explores whether Danish ICU survivors remain employed after ICU discharge.

A longitudinal register study of 16,284 Danish ICU survivors 25-67 years old 1:1 sex- and age-matched with general population references. Weekly prevalence proportions (%) of employed, public benefits, and deceased individuals were calculated based on the Danish Register-Based Evaluation and Marginalization Database and the Danish Civil Registration System until December 31, 2019. Age- and multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs were determined by Cox and Fine-Gray models.

Denmark has tax-funded healthcare and social security ensuring hospital treatment and social benefits free of charge for all Danish residents.

The study included Danish residents acutely admitted to public ICU treatment for critical illness from 2010 to 2018.

None.

The prevalences of employed ICU survivors increased from 30% at 2-8 weeks to 56% at 52 weeks after ICU discharge showing minor delay in women. The prevalences declined by age being 63%, 58%, 55%, and 52% in ages 25-42, 43-52, 53-58, and 59-63 years, respectively, 52 weeks after ICU discharge. The prevalences of employed ICU survivors declined by level of comorbidity being 64%, 53%, and 37% in ICU survivors of Charlson Comorbidity Index score 0, 1-2, or greater than or equal to 3, respectively, 52 weeks after ICU discharge. ICU survivors had higher risks of becoming retired (HR, 14.86; 95% CI, 8.69-25.41) or sickness absent (HR, 7.56; 95% CI, 7.16-7.98) when accounting for competing risks compared with the general population references.

About half of ICU survivors remained employed 52 weeks after ICU discharge. Age and comorbidity were effect modifiers.