The long-stay ICU patient

Crossingham, Gemma; MacNaughton, Peter

doi:10.1016/j.mpaic.2009.01.020

« Previous Next »Anaesthesia & intensive care medicine
Volume 10, Issue 4 , Pages 179-182, April 2009

The long-stay ICU patient

Gemma Crossingham, BSc(Hons), MB ChB(Hons), FRCA, is a ST4 at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, UK, and is on the South West Peninsula Training Rotation. She qualified from University of Bristol, UK. Conflicts of interest: none declared

Peter MacNaughton, FRCA, is Consultant in intensive care medicine and anaesthesia at Derriford Hospital. He qualified from Westminster Medical School, London, UK, and trained in anaesthesia and intensive care in London, Bristol and Sydney, Australia. Conflicts of interest: none declared

Abstract

The physical, psychological and cognitive effects of a prolonged stay on the intensive care unit (ICU) can be profound. Physical challenges include difficulty in weaning the patient from mechanical ventilation, problems with sedation, and critical illness neuropathy and muscle wasting. Psychological aspects include the development of delirium, post-traumatic stress disorder and cognitive dysfunction. It is essential that these patients are appropriately assessed and managed to minimize the long-term impact of these problems.

Keywords: cognitive dysfunction, delirium, long-stay intensive care unit, post-traumatic stress disorder, rehabilitation, sedation, weakness, weaning