Many more people survive a stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in recent times but physical and psychological problems are commonly experienced when people are discharged home from hospital.
These heath related problems can be grouped together to make up a condition called Post Intensive Care Syndrome, PICS for short. Disorders related to this syndrome include decreased strength, tiredness, anxiety, depression, loss of memory & attention. This syndrome can have a major impact on quality of life, preventing some from doing their daily activities and returning to a normal life after ICU. The purpose of this study is to check-up/screen patients who have returned home after an ICU stay to evaluate for PICS. In this study, the physiotherapy researcher will contact people by telephone who have had an ICU stay in St. James’s Hospital to assess for PICS. Patients will be assessed in 5 different areas, these include: quality of life, physical function, post-traumatic stress, sleep and physical function. The results of this telephone call will indicate the prevalence of possible PICS and whether patients require follow-up services in the community which may be important for planning future health and rehabilitation services.
