Early mobilization of patients in the hospital and the intensive care unit has a strong historical precedent. However, in more recent times, deep sedation and bed rest have been part of routine ...medical care for many mechanically ventilated patients. A growing body of literature demonstrates that survivors of severe critical illness commonly have significant and prolonged neuromuscular complications that impair their physical function and quality of life after hospital discharge. Bed rest, and its associated mechanisms, may play an important role in the pathogenesis of neuromuscular weakness in critically ill patients. A new approach for managing mechanically ventilated patients includes reducing deep sedation and increasing rehabilitation therapy and mobilization soon after admission to the intensive care unit. Emerging research in this field provides preliminary evidence supporting the safety, feasibility, and potential benefits of early mobilization in critical care medicine.
OBJECTIVE:To update and expand the 2013 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Pain, Agitation, and Delirium in Adult Patients in the ICU.
DESIGN:Thirty-two international experts, four ...methodologists, and four critical illness survivors met virtually at least monthly. All section groups gathered face-to-face at annual Society of Critical Care Medicine congresses; virtual connections included those unable to attend. A formal conflict of interest policy was developed a priori and enforced throughout the process. Teleconferences and electronic discussions among subgroups and whole panel were part of the guidelines’ development. A general content review was completed face-to-face by all panel members in January 2017.
METHODS:Content experts, methodologists, and ICU survivors were represented in each of the five sections of the guidelinesPain, Agitation/sedation, Delirium, Immobility (mobilization/rehabilitation), and Sleep (disruption). Each section created Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome, and nonactionable, descriptive questions based on perceived clinical relevance. The guideline group then voted their ranking, and patients prioritized their importance. For each Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome question, sections searched the best available evidence, determined its quality, and formulated recommendations as “strong,” “conditional,” or “good” practice statements based on Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation principles. In addition, evidence gaps and clinical caveats were explicitly identified.
RESULTS:The Pain, Agitation/Sedation, Delirium, Immobility (mobilization/rehabilitation), and Sleep (disruption) panel issued 37 recommendations (three strong and 34 conditional), two good practice statements, and 32 ungraded, nonactionable statements. Three questions from the patient-centered prioritized question list remained without recommendation.
CONCLUSIONS:We found substantial agreement among a large, interdisciplinary cohort of international experts regarding evidence supporting recommendations, and the remaining literature gaps in the assessment, prevention, and treatment of Pain, Agitation/sedation, Delirium, Immobility (mobilization/rehabilitation), and Sleep (disruption) in critically ill adults. Highlighting this evidence and the research needs will improve Pain, Agitation/sedation, Delirium, Immobility (mobilization/rehabilitation), and Sleep (disruption) management and provide the foundation for improved outcomes and science in this vulnerable population.
Abstract Objectives To evaluate the epidemiology of, and post-intensive care unit (ICU) interventions for anxiety symptoms after critical illness. Methods We searched 5 databases (1970–2015) to ...identify studies assessing anxiety symptoms in adult ICU survivors. Data from studies using the most common assessment instrument were meta-analyzed. Results We identified 27 studies (2880 patients) among 27,334 citations. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) was the most common instrument (81% of studies). We pooled data at 2–3, 6, and 12–14 month time-points, with anxiety symptom prevalences (HADS-A≥8, 95%CI) of 32%(27–38%), 40%(33–46%), and 34%(25–42%), respectively. In a subset of studies with repeated assessments in the exact same patients, there was no significant change in anxiety score or prevalence over time. Age, gender, severity of illness, diagnosis, and length of stay were not associated with anxiety symptoms. Psychiatric symptoms during admission and memories of in-ICU delusional experiences were potential risk factors. Physical rehabilitation and ICU diaries had potential benefit. Conclusions One-third of ICU survivors experience anxiety symptoms that are persistent during their first year of recovery. Psychiatric symptoms during admission and memories of in–ICU delusional experiences were associated with post-ICU anxiety. Physical rehabilitation and ICU diaries merit further investigation as possible interventions.
Objectives
To evaluate the effectiveness of antipsychotic medications in preventing and treating delirium.
Design
Systematic review and meta‐analysis.
Setting
PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and ...ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched from January 1, 1988, to November 26, 2013.
Participants
Adult surgical and medical inpatients.
Intervention
Antipsychotic administration for delirium prevention or treatment in randomized controlled trials or cohort studies.
Measurements
Two authors independently reviewed all citations, extracted relevant data, and assessed studies for potential bias. Heterogeneity was considered as chi‐square P < .1 or I2 > 50%. Using a random‐effects model (I2 > 50%) or a fixed‐effects model (I2 < 50%), odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for dichotomous outcomes (delirium incidence and mortality), and mean or standardized mean difference for continuous outcomes (delirium duration, severity, hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS)). Sensitivity analyses included postoperative prevention studies only, exclusion of studies with high risk of bias, and typical versus atypical antipsychotics.
Results
Screening of 10,877 eligible records identified 19 studies. In seven studies comparing antipsychotics with placebo or no treatment for delirium prevention after surgery, there was no significant effect on delirium incidence (OR = 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.23–1.34, I2 = 93%). Using data reported from all 19 studies, antipsychotic use was not associated with change in delirium duration, severity, or hospital or ICU LOS, with high heterogeneity among studies. No association with mortality was detected (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.62–1.29, I2 = 0%).
Conclusion
Current evidence does not support the use of antipsychotics for prevention or treatment of delirium. Additional methodologically rigorous studies using standardized outcome measures are needed.
Research evaluating acute respiratory failure (ARF) survivors' outcomes after hospital discharge has substantial heterogeneity in terms of the measurement instruments used, creating barriers to ...synthesizing study data.
To identify a minimum set of core outcome measures that are essential to include in all clinical research studies evaluating ARF survivors after discharge.
We conducted a three-round modified Delphi consensus process with 77 participants (47% female, 55% outside the United States), including clinical researchers from more than 16 countries across six continents, patients/caregivers, clinicians, and research funders. Participants reviewed standardized information on measure instruments for seven consensus-derived outcomes plus one recommended outcome.
Response rates were 91 to 97% across the three rounds. Among 75 measurement instruments evaluated, the following met a priori consensus criteria: EQ-5D and 36-item Short Form Health Survey version 2 (optional) for the "satisfaction with life and personal enjoyment" and "pain" outcomes, and both the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Impact of Events Scale-Revised for the "mental health" outcome. No measures reached consensus for the following outcomes: cognition, muscle and/or nerve function, physical function, and pulmonary function. All measures considered for pulmonary function met consensus criteria for exclusion. The following measures did not reach the threshold for consensus but achieved the highest scores for their respective outcomes: the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (cognition), manual muscle testing and handgrip dynamometry (muscle and/or nerve function), and 6-minute-walk test (physical function).
This Core Outcome Measurement Set is recommended for use in all clinical research evaluating ARF survivors after hospital discharge. In the future, researchers should evaluate measures for outcomes not reaching consensus.
An increasing number of patients are surviving critical illness, but some experience new or worsening long-lasting impairments in physical, cognitive and/or mental health, commonly known as ...post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). The need to better understand and improve PICS has resulted in a growing body of literature exploring its various facets. This narrative review will focus on recent studies evaluating various aspects of PICS, including co-occurrence of specific impairments, subtypes/phenotypes, risk factors/mechanisms, and interventions. In addition, we highlight new aspects of PICS, including long-term fatigue, pain, and unemployment.
Neuromuscular disorders are increasingly recognized as a cause of both short- and long-term physical morbidity in survivors of critical illness. This recognition has given rise to research aimed at ...better understanding the risk factors and mechanisms associated with neuromuscular dysfunction and physical impairment associated with critical illness, as well as possible interventions to prevent or treat these issues. Among potential risk factors, bed rest is an important modifiable risk factor. Early mobilization and rehabilitation of patients who are critically ill may help prevent or mitigate the sequelae of bed rest and improve patient outcomes. Research studies and quality improvement projects have demonstrated that early mobilization and rehabilitation are safe and feasible in patients who are critically ill, with potential benefits including improved physical functioning and decreased duration of mechanical ventilation, intensive care, and hospital stay. Despite these findings, early mobilization and rehabilitation are still uncommon in routine clinical practice, with many perceived barriers. This review summarizes potential risk factors for neuromuscular dysfunction and physical impairment associated with critical illness, highlights the potential role of early mobilization and rehabilitation in improving patient outcomes, and discusses some of the commonly perceived barriers to early mobilization and strategies for overcoming them.
The evaluation of physical functioning is valuable in the intensive care unit (ICU) to help inform patient recovery after critical illness, to identify patients who may require rehabilitation ...interventions, and to monitor responsiveness to such interventions. This viewpoint article discusses: (1) the concept of physical functioning with reference to the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; (2) the importance of measuring physical functioning in the ICU; and (3) methods for evaluating physical functioning in the ICU. Recommendations for clinical practice and research are made, along with discussion of future directions.