Post-intensive care syndrome: An overview

TLDR

Survival of critically ill patients has improved, yet many develop post‑intensive care syndrome (PICS), a cognitive, psychiatric, or physical disability that is often overlooked and reduces quality of life for patients and families. The study aims to prevent PICS by minimizing sedation, promoting early mobilization, and implementing multidisciplinary evaluation and management, requiring organizational change to address its high incidence and impact. Preventive strategies involve reducing sedation, early mobilization, and multidisciplinary assessment and treatment using pharmacologic and non‑pharmacologic interventions.

Abstract

Abstract Survival of critically unwell patients has improved in the last decade due to advances in critical care medicine. Some of these survivors develop cognitive, psychiatric and /or physical disability after treatment in intensive care unit (ICU), which is now recognized as post intensive care syndrome (PICS). Given the limited awareness about PICS in the medical faculty this aspect is often overlooked which may lead to reduced quality of life and cause a lot of suffering of these patients and their families. Efforts should be directed towards preventing PICS by minimizing sedation and early mobilization during ICU.All critical care survivors should be evaluated for PICS and those having signs and symptoms of it should be managed by a multidisciplinary team which includes critical care physician, neuro-psychiatrist, physiotherapist and respiratory therapist, with the use of pharmacological and non-apharmacological interventions. This can be achieved through an organizational change and improvement, knowing the high rate of incidence of PICS and its adverse effects on the survivor’s life and daily activities and its effect on the survivor’s family.