Randomized Clinical Trial of an ICU Recovery Pilot Program for Survivors of Critical Illness.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of an interdisciplinary ICU recovery program on process measures and clinical outcomes. DESIGN: A prospective, single-center, randomized pilot trial. SETTING: Academic, tertiary-care medical center. PATIENTS: Adult patients admitted to the medical ICU for at least 48 hours with a predicted risk of 30-day same-hospital readmission of at least 15%. INTERVENTIONS: Patients randomized to the ICU recovery program group were offered a structured 10-intervention program, including an inpatient visit by a nurse practitioner, an informational pamphlet, a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week phone number for the recovery team, and an outpatient ICU recovery clinic visit with a critical care physician, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, psychologist, and case manager. For patients randomized to the usual care group, all aspects of care were determined by treating clinicians. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Among the primary analysis of enrolled patients who survived to hospital discharge, patients randomized to the ICU recovery program (n = 111) and usual care (n = 121) were similar at baseline. Patients in the ICU recovery program group received a median of two interventions compared with one intervention in the usual care group (p < 0.001). A total of 16 patients (14.4%) in the ICU recovery program group and 26 patients (21.5%) in the usual care group were readmitted to the study hospital within 30 days of discharge (p = 0.16). For these patients, the median time to readmission was 21.5 days (interquartile range, 11.5-26.2 d) in the ICU recovery program group and 7 days (interquartile range, 4-21.2 d) in the usual care group (p = 0.03). Four patients (3.6%) in the ICU recovery program and 14 patients (11.6%) in the usual care group were readmitted within 7 days of hospital discharge (p = 0.02). The composite outcome of death or readmission within 30 days of hospital discharge occurred in 20 patients (18%) in the ICU recovery program group and 36 patients (29.8%) in usual care group (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: This randomized pilot trial found that a multidisciplinary ICU recovery program could deliver more interventions for post ICU recovery than usual care. The finding of longer time-to-readmission with an ICU recovery program should be examined in future trials.

Critical Care Pharmacists and Medication Management in an ICU Recovery Center.

BACKGROUND: Many patients experience complications following critical illness; these are now widely referred to as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). An interprofessional intensive care unit (ICU) recovery center (ICU-RC), also known as a PICS clinic, is one potential approach to promoting patient and family recovery following critical illness. OBJECTIVES: To describe the role of an ICU-RC critical care pharmacist in identifying and treating medication-related problems among ICU survivors. METHODS: A prospective, observational cohort study was conducted of all outpatient appointments of a tertiary care hospital's ICU-RC between July 2012 and December 2015. The pharmacist completed a full medication review, including medication reconciliation, interview, counseling, and resultant interventions, during the ICU-RC appointment. RESULTS: Data from all completed ICU-RC visits were analyzed (n = 62). A full medication review was performed in 56 (90%) of these patients by the pharmacist. The median number of pharmacy interventions per patient was 4 (interquartile range = 2, 5). All 56 patients had at least 1 pharmacy intervention; 22 (39%) patients had medication(s) stopped at the clinic appointment, and 18 (32%) patients had new medication(s) started. The pharmacist identified 9 (16%) patients who had an adverse drug event (ADE); 18 (32%) patients had ADE preventive measures instituted. An influenza vaccination was administered to 13 (23%) patients despite an inpatient protocol to ensure influenza vaccination prior to discharge. A pneumococcal vaccination was administered to 2 (4%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a critical care pharmacist resulted in the identification and treatment of multiple medication-related problems in an ICU-RC as well as implementation of preventive measures.

Comprehensive care of ICU survivors: Development and implementation of an ICU recovery center.

PURPOSE: To describe the design and initial implementation of an Intensive Care Unit Recovery Center (ICU-RC) in the United States. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, observational feasibility study was undertaken at an academic hospital between July 2012 and December 2015. Clinical criteria were used to develop the ICU-RC, identify patients at high risk for post intensive care syndrome (PICS), and offer them post-ICU care. RESULTS: 218/307 referred patients (71%) survived to hospital discharge; 62 (28% of survivors) were seen in clinic. Median time from discharge to ICU-RC visit was 29days. At initial evaluation, 64% of patients had clinically meaningful cognitive impairment. Anxiety and depression were present in 37% and 27% of patients, respectively. One in three patients was unable to ambulate independently; median 6min walk distance was 56% predicted. Of 47 previously working patients, 7 (15%) had returned to work. Case management and referral services were provided 142 times. The median number of interventions per patient was 4. CONCLUSIONS: An ICU-RC identified a high prevalence of cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression, physical debility, lifestyle changes, and medication-related problems warranting intervention. Whether an ICU-RC can improve ICU recovery in the US should be investigated in a systematic way.

A Clinic Model: Post-Intensive Care Syndrome and Post-Intensive Care Syndrome-Family.

The number of patients surviving critical illness in the United States has increased with advancements in medicine. Post-intensive care syndrome and post-intensive care syndrome-family are terms developed by the Society of Critical Care Medicine in order to address the cognitive, psychological, and physical sequelae emerging in patients and their families after discharge from the intensive care unit. In the United Kingdom and Europe, intensive care unit follow-up clinics have been used to address the complications of post-intensive care syndrome for some time. However, the interprofessional clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is among the first in the United States to address the wide variety of problems experienced by intensive care survivors and to provide patients and their families with care after discharge from the intensive care unit.