Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 51-11 | Page 65
J Rehabil Med 2019; 51: 879–882
Cochrane Corner
rehabilitation.cochrane.org
FOLLOW-UP SERVICES FOR IMPROVING LONG-TERM OUTCOMES IN INTENSIVE
CARE UNIT (ICU) SURVIVORS – A COCHRANE REVIEW SUMMARY WITH
COMMENTARY
Carlotte KIEKENS, MD 1,2
From the 1 University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine and 2 KU Leuven, University of Leuven,
Department of Development and Regeneration, Belgium
The aim of this commentary is to discuss in a rehabi-
litation perspective the published Cochrane Review
“Follow-up services for improving long-term outco-
mes in intensive care unit (ICU) survivors” known
collectively as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS
by Schofield-Robinson et al. (1), under the direct
supervision of the Cochrane Effective Practice and
Organisation of Care Group. This Cochrane Corner is
produced in agreement with the Journal of Rehabili-
tation Medicine by Cochrane Rehabilitation 1 .
Key word: critical illness; intensive care units; rehabilitation;
systematic review; post-intensive care syndrome
J Rehabil Med 2019; 51: 879–882
Correspondence address: Carlotte Kiekens, MD, University Hospitals
Leuven, Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine and KU
Leuven, University of Leuven, Department of Development and Rege-
neration, Belgium. E-mail: [email protected]
BACKGROUND
The number of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) survivors is
increasing due to the ageing population and decreasing
mortality for critical illness (2, 3). However, patients may
present long lasting physical, cognitive and mental health
impairments, leading to a decreased quality of life, return to
work and life expectancy. These problems, including ICU-
acquired weakness due to critical illness, neuro- and/or
myopathy, have been described as the “Post-intensive care
syndrome (PICS)”(2, 4). A systematic review performed
by Ohtake et al. showed that during the first year following
critical illness, individuals with PICS experienced physical
This summary is based on a Cochrane Review previously published
in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2018, Issue 11, Art.
No.: CD012701, DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012701.pub4 (see www.
cochranelibrary.com for information). Cochrane Reviews are regularly
updated as new evidence emerges and in response to feedback, and
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews should be consulted for the
most recent version of the review. The views expressed in the summary
with commentary are those of the Cochrane Corner author(s) and do not
represent the Cochrane Library or Wiley.
1
impairments in all three domains of the International Clas-
sification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF): body
functions and structures, activity limitations and partici-
pation restrictions (5). Evidence on the effectiveness of
interventions, to prevent or treat PICS, whether preformed
during the ICU stay or after discharge are of growing im-
portance. A Cochrane review has been published recently
on “Follow-up services for improving long-term outcomes
in intensive care unit (ICU) survivors” (1).
FOLLOW-UP SERVICES FOR IMPROVING
LONG-TERM OUTCOMES IN INTENSIVE
CARE UNIT (ICU) SURVIVORS
(Oliver J Schofield-Robinson, Sharon R Lewis, Andrew
F Smith, Joanne McPeake, Phil Alderson 2018)
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS COCHRANE
REVIEW?
The main aim of this Cochrane Review was to evaluate
the effectiveness of follow-up services for ICU survivors
that aim to identify and address unmet health needs related
to the ICU period.
WHAT WAS STUDIED IN THE COCHRANE
REVIEW?
The population addressed in this review were adult pa-
tients, who had been discharged from hospital following
an ICU stay. The primary objective was to assess the ef-
fectiveness of follow-up services for ICU survivors that
aim to identify and address unmet health needs related
to the ICU period using the following outcomes: health-
related quality of life (HRQoL), mortality, depression and
anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), physical
function, cognitive function, ability to return to work or
education and adverse effects. The secondary objectives
were to examine different models of follow-up services
by exploring: the effectiveness of service organisation
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license. www.medicaljournals.se/jrm
Journal Compilation © 2019 Foundation of Rehabilitation Information. ISSN 1650-1977
doi: 10.2340/16501977-2626