ABSTRACT
IMPORTANCE: One-year outcomes in patients who have had COVID-19 and who received treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) are unknown. OBJECTIVE: To assess the occurrence of physical, mental, and cognitive symptoms among patients with COVID-19 at 1 year after ICU treatment. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: An exploratory prospective multicenter cohort study conducted in ICUs of 11 Dutch hospitals. Patients (N = 452) with COVID-19, aged 16 years and older, and alive after hospital discharge following admission to 1 of the 11 ICUs during the first COVID-19 surge (March 1, 2020, until July 1, 2020) were eligible for inclusion. Patients were followed up for 1 year, and the date of final follow-up was June 16, 2021. EXPOSURES: Patients with COVID-19 who received ICU treatment and survived 1 year after ICU admission. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The main outcomes were self-reported occurrence of physical symptoms (frailty [Clinical Frailty Scale score ≥5], fatigue [Checklist Individual Strength-fatigue subscale score ≥27], physical problems), mental symptoms (anxiety [Hospital Anxiety and Depression {HADS} subscale score ≥8], depression [HADS subscale score ≥8], posttraumatic stress disorder [mean Impact of Event Scale score ≥1.75]), and cognitive symptoms (Cognitive Failure Questionnaire-14 score ≥43) 1 year after ICU treatment and measured with validated questionnaires. RESULTS: Of the 452 eligible patients, 301 (66.8%) patients could be included, and 246 (81.5%) patients (mean [SD] age, 61.2 [9.3] years; 176 men [71.5%]; median ICU stay, 18 days [IQR, 11 to 32]) completed the 1-year follow-up questionnaires. At 1 year after ICU treatment for COVID-19, physical symptoms were reported by 182 of 245 patients (74.3% [95% CI, 68.3% to 79.6%]), mental symptoms were reported by 64 of 244 patients (26.2% [95% CI, 20.8% to 32.2%]), and cognitive symptoms were reported by 39 of 241 patients (16.2% [95% CI, 11.8% to 21.5%]). The most frequently reported new physical problems were weakened condition (95/244 patients [38.9%]), joint stiffness (64/243 patients [26.3%]) joint pain (62/243 patients [25.5%]), muscle weakness (60/242 patients [24.8%]) and myalgia (52/244 patients [21.3%]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this exploratory study of patients in 11 Dutch hospitals who survived 1 year following ICU treatment for COVID-19, physical, mental, or cognitive symptoms were frequently reported.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/psychology , Critical Care , Adult , Aged , Arthralgia/etiology , COVID-19/therapy , Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology , Female , Humans , Intensive Care Units , Male , Mental Disorders/etiology , Middle Aged , Muscle Weakness/etiology , Myalgia/etiology , Netherlands , Prospective Studies , Self ReportABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Long-term mental outcomes in family members of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) intensive care unit (ICU) survivors are unknown. Therefore, we assessed the prevalence of mental health symptoms, including associated risk factors, and quality of life (QoL) in family members of COVID-19 ICU survivors 3 and 12 months post-ICU. METHODS: A prospective multicentre cohort study in ICUs of ten Dutch hospitals, including adult family members of COVID-19 ICU survivors admitted between March 1, and July 1, 2020. Symptom prevalence rates of anxiety, depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Impact of Event Scale-6), and QoL (Short Form-12) before ICU admission (baseline), and after 3 and 12 months were measured. Additionally, associations between family and patient characteristics and mental health symptoms were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 166 out of 197 (84.3%) included family members completed the 12-month follow-up of whom 46.1% and 38.3% had mental health symptoms 3 and 12 months post-ICU, respectively; both higher compared to baseline (22.4%) (p < 0.001). The mental component summary score of the SF-12 was lower at 12-month follow-up compared with baseline [mean difference mental component score: - 5.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) - 7.4 to - 3.6)]. Furthermore, 27.9% experienced work-related problems. Symptoms of anxiety (odds ratio (OR) 9.23; 95% CI 2.296-37.24; p = 0.002) and depression (OR 5.96; 95% CI 1.29-27.42; p = 0.02) prior to ICU admission were identified as risk factors for mental health symptoms after 12 months. CONCLUSION: A considerable proportion of family members of COVID-19 survivors reported mental health symptoms 3 and 12 months after ICU admission, disrupting QoL and creating work-related problems.