Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 28 published articles regarding 3,437 patients. In the six months immediately after an ICU stay, between 23 and 42 percent of patients exhibited clinical symptoms of PTSD. That range rose to between 34 and 36 percent of patients seven to 12 months after discharge.
Younger patients who were on mechanical ventilation and patients with memories of frightening ICU experiences were most likely to experience long-term PTSD symptoms.
“These events are happening at a time that patients are unable to properly process these events,” said Dale Needham, MD, PhD, lead author of the study, in the report. “They are very sick and their brains are not working that well, or they are given sedation medications that causes confused thinking. While they are confused they are often having false beliefs that nurses are trying to harm them, [that] they are being sexually assaulted in the ICU, that blood is coming out of the walls and ceilings, and these things can produce long, disturbed memories for ICU survivors.”
Researchers suggest further studies are needed to evaluate system screening, prevention and and/or treatment methods for patients in the ICU.
More Articles on Clinical Quality:
CDC’s Infection Prevention, Control Recommendations for Hospitalized MERS Patients
2 Tips to Boost Safety Process Compliance
AHRQ: Hospital Care Improving Quicker Than Other Healthcare Settings
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
