Factors Associated With Quality-of-Dying-and-Death Classes Among Critically Ill Patients.

Importance: Improving end-of-life care in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a priority, but clinically modifiable factors of quality of dying and death (QODD) are seldom identified. Objectives: To comprehensively identify factors associated with QODD classes of dying ICU patients, emphasizing clinically modifiable factors based on the integrative framework of factors associated with for bereavement outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This observational cohort study was conducted at medical ICUs of 2 Taiwanese medical centers from January 2018 to March 2020 with follow-up through December 2022. Eligible participants included primary family surrogates responsible for decision making for critically ill ICU patients at high risk of death (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score >20) but who survived more than 3 days after ICU admission. Data analysis was conducted from July to September 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: QODD was measured by the 23-item ICU-QODD questionnaire. Factors associated with patient membership in 4 previously determined QODD classes (high, moderate, poor to uncertain, and worst) were examined using a 3-step approach for latent class modeling with the high QODD class as the reference category. Results: A total of 309 family surrogates (mean [SD] age, 49.83 [12.55] years; 184 women [59.5%] and 125 men [40.5%]) were included in the study. Of all surrogates, 91 (29.4%) were the patients' spouse and 66 (53.7%) were the patients' adult child. Patient demographics were not associated with QODD class. Two family demographics (age and gender), relationship with the patient (spousal or adult-child), and length of ICU stay were associated with QODD classes. Patients of surrogates perceiving greater social support were less likely to be in the poor to uncertain (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.94) and worst (aOR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87-0.96) QODD classes. Family meetings were associated with the poor to uncertain QODD class (aOR, 8.61; 95% CI, 2.49-29.74) and worst QODD class (aOR, 7.28; 95% CI, 1.37-38.71). Death with cardiopulmonary resuscitation was associated with the worst QODD class (aOR, 7.51; 95% CI, 1.12-50.25). Family presence at patient death was uniformly negatively associated with the moderate QODD class (aOR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.05-0.54), poor to uncertain QODD class (aOR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.05-0.82), and worst QODD class (aOR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.02-0.38). Higher family satisfaction with ICU care was negatively associated with the poor to uncertain QODD class (aOR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87-0.98) and worst QODD class (aOR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.81-0.92). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of critically ill patients and their family surrogates, modifiable end-of-life ICU-care characteristics played a more significant role in associations with patient QODD class than did immutable family demographics, preexisting family health conditions, patient demographics, and patient clinical characteristics, thereby illuminating actionable opportunities to improve end-of-life ICU care.

Parents' experiences of family and daily life after their child's stay in the pediatric intensive care unit: a qualitative descriptive study.

INTRODUCTION: The stay of a critically ill child in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is a significant experience for the family. Thus far, little is known regarding the impact of this stay on parents and their healthy children for whom no continuous aftercare services are offered. This study aimed to capture the post-stay experience and needs of parents after this traumatic event so that they could return to family and everyday life. METHODS: This qualitative descriptive study was conducted in collaboration with four pediatric intensive care units in Switzerland. It included parents whose children had fully recovered after a stay and who did not require continuous medical follow-up. All children were hospitalized in the PICU for at least 48 h. Data were collected through narrative pairs (n = 6) and individual interviews (n = 8). Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, coded inductively according to Saldaña, and analyzed. RESULTS: The results showed three related phases that influence each other to restore normality in daily life: Trust and inclusion in the treatment process during the stay (1), processing after the stay (2), and returning to everyday life (3). CONCLUSION: Follow-up meetings should be available to all parents whose children have been hospitalized in the PICU. In particular, it should also be available to parents whose children have fully recovered and no longer have any medical disabilities.

Is comorbidity alone responsible for changes in health-related quality of life among critical care survivors? A purpose-specific review.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is one of the most important outcome variables for assessing the effectiveness of intensive care, together with mortality and survival, where comorbidity is suggested to have high impact. However, studies are lacking that examine to what extent HRQoL is affected after a general ICU period, beyond that of the effects that may be claimed to be due to comorbidities. DESIGN: Purpose-specific literature review including literature searches in PubMed, Cinahl, Scopus, and Cochrane library between 2010 and 2021. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: This Purpose-specific, i.e., task focused review examines HRQoL (assessed by either SF-36 or EQ-5D, > 30 days after leaving the hospital) in adult patients (≥ 18 years) having an ICU length of stay > 24 h. Further, the HRQoL comparisons were adjusted for age or comorbidity. A total of 11 publications were found. A majority comprised observational, prospective cohort studies, except three that were either case-control, cross-sectional comparison, or retrospective cohort studies. A total of 18,566 critically ill patients were included, and the response rate ranged from 16 to 94%. In all studies, a recurrent relevant finding was that HRQoL after ICU care was affected by pre-ICU comorbidities. In three studies (n = 3), which included a comorbidity adjusted control group, there were no effect of the critical care period itself on the registered HRQoL after the critical care period. CONCLUSION: Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in former ICU patients appears to be primarily influenced by comorbidity. A notable limitation in this field of research is the high heterogeneity observed in the studies reviewed, particularly in terms of the HRQoL measurement tool employed, the duration of follow-up, the methodology for comorbidity assessment, and the adjustments for age and sex. Despite these variations and the limited number of studies in the review, the findings suggest a minimal HRQoL impact beyond the effects of comorbidity. Given the significant dearth of comprehensive studies in this domain, there is an escalating call for more thorough and detailed research endeavours.

Unmasking the hidden aftermath: postintensive care unit sequelae, discharge preparedness, and long-term follow-up.

A significant portion of individuals who have experienced critical illness encounter new or exacerbated impairments in their physical, cognitive, or mental health, commonly referred to as postintensive care syndrome. Moreover, those who survive critical illness often face an increased risk of adverse consequences, including infections, major cardiovascular events, readmissions, and elevated mortality rates, during the months following hospitalization. These findings emphasize the critical necessity for effective prevention and management of long-term health deterioration in the critical care environment. Although conclusive evidence from well-designed randomized clinical trials is somewhat limited, potential interventions include strategies such as limiting sedation, early mobilization, maintaining family presence during the intensive care unit stay, implementing multicomponent transition programs (from intensive care unit to ward and from hospital to home), and offering specialized posthospital discharge follow-up. This review seeks to provide a concise summary of recent medical literature concerning long-term outcomes following critical illness and highlight potential approaches for preventing and addressing health decline in critical care survivors.

Occurrence, co-occurrence and persistence of symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in survivors of COVID-19 critical illness.

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) admission and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) are associated with psychological distress and trauma. The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a series of additional long-lasting stressful and traumatic experiences. However, little is known about comorbid depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Objective: To examine the occurrence, co-occurrence, and persistence of clinically significant symptoms of depression and PTSD, and their predictive factors, in COVID-19 critical illness survivors.Method: Single-centre prospective observational study in adult survivors of COVID-19 with ≥24 h of ICU admission. Patients were assessed one and 12 months after ICU discharge using the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Davidson Trauma Scale. Differences in isolated and comorbid symptoms of depression and PTSD between patients with and without IMV and predictors of the occurrence and persistence of symptoms of these mental disorders were analysed.Results: Eighty-nine patients (42 with IMV) completed the 1-month follow-up and 71 (34 with IMV) completed the 12-month follow-up. One month after discharge, 29.2% of patients had symptoms of depression and 36% had symptoms of PTSD; after one year, the respective figures were 32.4% and 31%. Coexistence of depressive and PTSD symptoms accounted for approximately half of all symptomatic cases. Isolated PTSD symptoms were more frequent in patients with IMV (p≤.014). The need for IMV was associated with the occurrence at one month (OR = 6.098, p = .005) and persistence at 12 months (OR = 3.271, p = .030) of symptoms of either of these two mental disorders.Conclusions: Comorbid depressive and PTSD symptoms were highly frequent in our cohort of COVID-19 critical illness survivors. The need for IMV predicted short-term occurrence and long-term persistence of symptoms of these mental disorders, especially PTSD symptoms. The specific role of dyspnea in the association between IMV and post-ICU mental disorders deserves further investigation.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04422444.

Clinically significant depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in survivors of COVID-19 critical illness, especially in patients who had undergone invasive mechanical ventilation, were highly frequent, occurred soon after discharge, and persisted over the long term.

Promoting End-of-Life Care and Healthcare Worker Well-Being: Implementing the 3 Wishes Project in an Oncology Intensive Care Unit.

This scholarly project implemented the 3 Wishes Project (3WP), which aims to fulfill the final wishes of dying critically ill patients, in a 16-bed tertiary intensive care unit (ICU). The project assessed outcomes through sur.

Psychological Outcomes in Families of PICU Survivors: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric critical illness exposes family members to stressful experiences that may lead to subsequent psychological repercussions. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review psychological outcomes among PICU survivors' family members. DATA SOURCES: Four medical databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and PsycInfo) were searched from inception till October 2023. STUDY SELECTION: Studies reporting psychological disorders in family members of PICU patients with at least 3 months follow-up were included. Family members of nonsurvivors and palliative care patients were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION: Screening and data extraction was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Of 5360 articles identified, 4 randomized controlled trials, 16 cohort studies, and 2 cross-sectional studies were included (total patients = 55 597; total family members = 97 506). Psychological distress was reported in 35.2% to 64.3% and 40.9% to 53% of family members 3 to 6 months and 1 year after their child's PICU admission, respectively. Post-traumatic stress disorder was diagnosed in 10% to 48% of parents 3 to 9 months later. Parents that experienced moderate to severe anxiety and depression 3 to 6 months later was 20.9% to 42% and 6.1% to 42.6%, respectively. Uptake of mental counseling among parents was disproportionately low at 0.7% to 29%. Risk factors for psychiatric morbidity include mothers, parents of younger children, and longer duration of PICU stay. LIMITATIONS: The majority of studies were on parents with limited data on siblings and second degree relatives. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high burden of psychological sequelae in family members of PICU survivors. Risk stratification to identify high-risk groups and early interventions are needed.

Mobile Mindfulness Intervention for Psychological Distress Among Intensive Care Unit Survivors: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Although psychological distress is common among survivors of critical illness, there are few tailored therapies. Objective: To determine the optimal method for delivering a mindfulness intervention via a mobile app for critical illness survivors. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial used a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design and was conducted at 3 sites among survivors of critical illness with elevated postdischarge symptoms of depression. The study was conducted between August 2019 and July 2023. Interventions: Participants were randomized to 1 of 8 different groups as determined by 3 two-level intervention component combinations: intervention introduction method (mobile app vs therapist call), mindfulness meditation dose (once daily vs twice daily), and management of increasing symptoms (mobile app vs therapist call). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression scale score (range, 0-27) at 1 month. Secondary outcomes included anxiety (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and posttraumatic stress disorder (Posttraumatic Stress Scale) symptoms at 1 and 3 months, adherence, and feasibility. General linear models were used to compare main effects and interactions of the components among intervention groups. A formal decisional framework was used to determine an optimized intervention version. Results: A total of 247 participants (mean [SD] age, 50.2 [15.4] years; 104 [42.1%] women) were randomized. Twice-daily meditation compared with once-daily meditation was associated with a 1.2 (95% CI, 0.04-2.4)-unit lower mean estimated PHQ-9 score at 1 month and a 1.5 (95% CI, 0.1-2.8)-unit lower estimated mean score at 3 months. The other 2 intervention components had no main effects on the PHQ-9. Across-group adherence was high (217 participants [87.9%] using the intervention at trial conclusion) and retention was strong (191 [77.3%] and 182 [73.7%] at 1 and 3 months, respectively). Conclusions and Relevance: A mindfulness intervention for survivors of critical illness that included an app-based introduction, twice-daily guided meditation, and app-based management of increasing depression symptoms was optimal considering effects on psychological distress symptoms, adherence, and feasibility. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04038567.

"We Feel Alone and Not Listened To": Parents' Perspectives on Pediatric Serious Illness Care in Somali, Hmong, and Latin American Communities.

PURPOSE: The experience of ethnically diverse parents of children with serious illness in the US health care system has not been well studied. Listening to families from these communities about their experiences could identify modifiable barriers to quality pediatric serious illness care and facilitate the development of potential improvements. Our aim was to explore parents' perspectives of their children's health care for serious illness from Somali, Hmong, and Latin-American communities in Minnesota. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study with focus groups and individual interviews using immersion-crystallization data analysis with a community-based participatory research approach. RESULTS: Twenty-six parents of children with serious illness participated (8 Somali, 10 Hmong, and 8 Latin-American). Parents desired 2-way trusting and respectful relationships with medical staff. Three themes supported this trust, based on parents' experiences with challenging and supportive health care: (1) Informed understanding allows parents to understand and be prepared for their child's medical care; (2) Compassionate interactions with staff allow parents to feel their children are cared for; (3) Respected parental advocacy allows parents to feel their wisdom is heard. Effective communication is 1 key to improving understanding, expressing compassion, and partnering with parents, including quality medical interpretation for low-English proficient parents. CONCLUSIONS: Parents of children with serious illness from Somali, Hmong, and Latin-American communities shared a desire for improved relationships with staff and improved health care processes. Processes that enhance communication, support, and connection, including individual and system-level interventions driven by community voices, hold the potential for reducing health disparities in pediatric serious illness.

A Web-Based Peer Support Network to Help Care Partners of People With Serious Illness: Co-Design Study.

BACKGROUND: Care partners of people with serious illness experience significant challenges and unmet needs during the patient's treatment period and after their death. Learning from others with shared experiences can be valuable, but opportunities are not consistently available. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to design and prototype a regional, facilitated, and web-based peer support network to help active and bereaved care partners of persons with serious illness be better prepared to cope with the surprises that arise during serious illness and in bereavement. METHODS: An 18-member co-design team included active care partners and those in bereavement, people who had experienced serious illness, regional health care and support partners, and clinicians. It was guided by facilitators and peer network subject-matter experts. We conducted design exercises to identify the functions and specifications of a peer support network. Co-design members independently prioritized network specifications, which were incorporated into an early iteration of the web-based network. RESULTS: The team prioritized two functions: (1) connecting care partners to information and (2) facilitating emotional support. The design process generated 24 potential network specifications to support these functions. The highest priorities included providing a supportive and respectful community; connecting people to trusted resources; reducing barriers to asking for help; and providing frequently asked questions and responses. The network platform had to be simple and intuitive, provide technical support for users, protect member privacy, provide publicly available information and a private discussion forum, and be easily accessible. It was feasible to enroll members in the ConnectShareCare web-based network over a 3-month period. CONCLUSIONS: A co-design process supported the identification of critical features of a peer support network for care partners of people with serious illnesses in a rural setting, as well as initial testing and use. Further testing is underway to assess the long-term viability and impact of the network.

Perils and payoffs for patients in serious illness conversations as described by physicians: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The Serious Illness Care Programme was developed to promote more, better and earlier serious illness conversations. Conversations about goals and values are associated with improved experiences and outcomes for seriously ill patients. Clinicians' attitudes and beliefs are thought to influence the uptake and performance of serious illness conversations, yet little is known about how clinicians perceive the impact of these conversations on patients. This study aimed to explore physicians' perceptions regarding the impact of serious illness conversations for patients. METHODS: The Serious Illness Care Programme was implemented as a quality improvement project in two hospitals in Southern Sweden. Focus group evaluation discussions were conducted with 14 physicians and inductive thematic analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: The results revealed that physicians considered potential perils and optimised potential payoffs for patients when engaging in serious illness conversations. Potential perils encompassed inappropriate timing, damaging emotions and shattering hopes. Potential payoffs included reflection time, secure space, and united understandings. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians depicted a balance in evaluating the perils and payoffs of serious illness conversations for patients and recognised the interrelation of these possibilities through continual assessment and adjustment.

Integrating Perspectives on Family Caregiving After Critical Illness: A Qualitative Content Analysis.

BACKGROUND: To date, no intervention has definitively improved outcomes for families of critical illness survivors. An integrated perspective on caregivers' needs after critical illness could help identify high-priority intervention targets and improve outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To obtain diverse perspectives on the needs, barriers and facilitators, and social determinants of health associated with family caregiving across the critical illness continuum and assess the extent to which successful caregiving interventions in other populations may be adapted to the critical illness context. METHODS: This qualitative content analysis of 31 semistructured interviews and 10 focus groups with family caregivers, health care providers, and health care administrators explored family caregivers' needs during post- intensive care unit (ICU) transitions and the barriers and facilitators associated with addressing them. Trained coders analyzed transcripts, identified patterns and categories among the codes, and generated themes. RESULTS: Caregivers have 3 instrumental needs: formal and informal support, involvement in care planning, and education and training. Only caregivers described their self-care and mental health needs. Social determinants of health are the key barriers and facilitators shaping the caregivers' journey, and caregiving as a social determinant of health was a prominent theme. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers have instrumental, self-care, and mental health needs after critical illness. Adapting hands-on and skills training interventions to the post-ICU setting, while tailoring interventions to caregivers' health-related social context, may improve caregiver outcomes.

Validating a tool to measure spiritual beliefs, needs and resources in serious illness: The I-SPIRIT.

BACKGROUND: Seriously ill patients rely on spiritual and existential beliefs to support coping and approach crucial treatment and healthcare decisions. Yet, we lack gold standard, validated approaches to gathering information on those spiritual beliefs. Therefore, we developed I-SPIRIT, a spiritual needs and beliefs inventory for those with serious illness (IIR-10-050). METHODS: In prior work to develop measure content, we interviewed a total of 74 participants: 20 patients (veterans with Stage IV cancer, CHF, COPD, ESRD), 19 caregivers, 14 chaplains, 10 social workers, 12 nurses, and 5 physicians. Using directed content analyses, we identified over 50 attributes of spiritual experience comprising five domains: overall importance of spirituality; affiliations and practices; impact on decisions; spiritual needs; and spiritual resources. We then translated these attributes into individual items with Likert response scales. In the quantitative validation of I-SPIRIT, we administered the instrument and a battery of comparison measures to 249 seriously ill veterans. The comparison measures captured general spiritual well-being, religious coping, and emotional functioning. Convergent and discriminant validity was examined with the FACIT-sp (faith, meaning, and purpose), BMMRS (religious/spirituality), POMS and PHQ-8 (emotional function), and FACT-G (quality of life). We administered the I-SPIRIT a week later, for test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Psychometric analyses yielded a final I-SPIRIT Tool including 30 items. Results demonstrated reliability and validity and yielded a tool with three main components: Spiritual Beliefs (seven items); Spiritual Needs (nine items); and Spiritual Resources (14 items). The Spiritual Beliefs items include key practices and affiliations, and impact of beliefs on healthcare. Higher levels of Spiritual Needs were associated with higher anxiety and depression. CONCLUSION: The I-Spirit measures relevance of spirituality, spiritual needs and spiritual resources and demonstrates validity, reliability, and acceptability for patients with serious illness.

Supporting rural families during interhospital patient transfers for critical illness events: An exploration of an acceptable communication process.

Critically ill patients in rural areas at times require an interhospital transfer from their local hospital to an urban tertiary care centre for advanced critical care services not available locally. Family members have described this transfer window as a communication blackout and one of the most stressful times of their relative's critical illness event. OBJECTIVE: To explore what communication process would be most acceptable between family members and transfer team members (consisting of critical care nurses, paramedics, and physicians) during interhospital transfers of critically ill patients. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Using a qualitative descriptive approach of critical thematic analysis, data were collected in September and November 2022, from focus groups of five family members and four transfer team members who experienced this phenomenon. SETTING: Rural Canada where speciality services such as interventional cardiology and neurosurgery are unavailable, and a tertiary care hospital is more than 160 km away. FINDINGS: Within themes of unequal power relations and status-based hierarchies, family members described how communication during interhospital transfers supports connection and coping, challenges experienced in accessing information, an overwhelming unknown, and practical challenges of the transfer. Transfer team members described a context of power relations and status-based hierarchies in which themes of transfer team burden, role confusion or connection, protection and management of family members, and complexities of information sharing during interhospital transfers were identified. CONCLUSION: In critical illness, communication linkages are created between healthcare providers and family members but are broken during an interhospital transfer resulting in increased stress for family members. Acceptable communication elements described by transfer team members and family members may maintain these linkages during the transfer window. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: These findings provide the foundation for critical care nurses and their professional colleagues to take family care to the next level with an explicit communication strategy during interhospital transfers.

A randomised controlled trial of a nurse facilitator to promote communication for family members of critically ill patients.

PURPOSE: Suboptimal communication with clinicians, fragmented care and failure to align with patients' preferences are determinants of post intensive care unit (ICU) burden in family members. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of a nurse facilitator on family psychological burden. METHODS: We carried out a randomised controlled trial in five ICUs in France comparing standard communication by ICU clinicians to additional communication and support by nurse facilitators. We included patients > 18 years, with expected ICU length of stay > 2 days, chronic life-limiting illness, and their family members. Facilitators were trained to help families to secure care in line with patient's goals, beginning in ICU and continuing for 3 months. Assessments were made at baseline and 1, 3 and 6 months post-randomisation. Primary outcome was the evolution of family symptoms of depression over 6 months using a linear mixed effects model on the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Secondary outcomes included HADS-Anxiety, Impact of Event Scale-6, goal-concordant care and experience of serious illness (QUAL-E). RESULTS: 385 patients and family members were enrolled. Follow-up at 1-, 3- and 6-month was completed by 284 (74%), 264 (68.6%) and 260 (67.5%) family members respectively. The intervention was associated with significantly more formal meetings between the ICU team and the family (1 [1-3] vs 2 [1-4]; p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in evolution of symptoms of depression over 6 months (p = 0.91), nor in symptoms of depression at 6 months [0.53 95% CI (- 0.48; 1.55)]. There were no significant differences in secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: This study does not support the use of facilitators for family members of ICU patients.

A randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effect of post-intensive care multidisciplinary consultations on mortality and the quality of life at 1 year.

PURPOSE: Critical illness is associated with long-term increased mortality and impaired quality of life (QoL). We assessed whether multidisciplinary consultations would improve outcome at 12 months (M12) after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge. METHODS: We performed an open, multicenter, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial. Eligible are patients discharged alive from ICU in 11 French hospitals between 2012 and 2018. The intervention group had a multidisciplinary face-to-face consultation involving an intensivist, a psychologist, and a social worker at ICU discharge and then at M3 and M6 (optional). The control group had standard post-ICU follow-up. A consultation was scheduled at M12 for all patients. The QoL was assessed using the EuroQol-5 Dimensions-5 Level (Euro-QoL-5D-5L) which includes five dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain, and anxiety/depression), each ranging from 1 to 5 (1: no, 2: slight, 3: moderate, 4: severe, and 5: extreme problems). The primary endpoint was poor clinical outcome defined as death or severe-to-extreme impairment of at least one EuroQoL-5D-5L dimension at M12. The information was collected by a blinded investigator by phone. Secondary outcomes were functional, psychological, and cognitive status at M12 consultation. RESULTS: 540 patients were included (standard, n = 272; multidisciplinary, n = 268). The risk for a poor outcome was significantly greater in the multidisciplinary group than in the standard group [adjusted odds ratio 1.49 (95% confidence interval, (1.04-2.13)]. Seventy-two (13.3%) patients died at M12 (standard, n = 32; multidisciplinary, n = 40). The functional, psychological, and cognitive scores at M12 did not statistically differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: A hospital-based, face-to-face, intensivist-led multidisciplinary consultation at ICU discharge then at 3 and 6 months was associated with poor outcome 1 year after ICU.

Translation and Psychometric Validation of the German Version of the Iceland-Family Perceived Support Questionnaire (ICE-FPSQ): A Cross-Sectional Study.

Supporting families experiencing critical illness through family interventions is essential to ease illness burden, enable family management, and reduce their risk for adverse health. Thus far, there is no validated German instrument to measure the perceived support families receive from nurses. We translated the 14-item Iceland-Family Perceived Support Questionnaire (ICE-FPSQ) and tested its psychometric properties with 77 family members of intensive care patients. Compared with the original instrument, the construct validity of the German ICE-FPSQ (FPSQ-G) showed unstable results with a partially divergent structure, most likely caused by the limited sample size. The first two principal components explained 61% of the overall variance and a good internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of .92. The FPSQ-G is a promising instrument to measure family members' perceptions of the support they received from nurses in the acute critical care setting but requires further validation.

Dynamic delirium - Nursing intervention to reduce delirium in patients critically Ill, a randomized control trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of a nursing intervention based on the Dynamic Symptom Model (DSM) and scientific evidence versus daily care in reducing the incidence and duration of delirium in intensive care patients. METHOD: We designed the intervention named "DyDel" (By Dynamic Delirium) based on the theoretical approach of the DSM and from scientific evidence. A double-masked clinical trial of parallel groups was developed to test DyDel, with 213 patients older than 18 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) randomized to the study groups. The intervention group received DyDel each shift from day 0 until discharged from the ICU, while the control group received daily care in the ICU. At the same time, all participants were followed to measure primary (incidence and duration of delirium) and secondary outcomes (level of sedation and pain, days of mechanical ventilation, stay in ICU, and physical restriction). RESULTS: Overall, the study population were older than 60 years (60.3 ± 15.2 years), the male gender (59.6 %), and the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (73.7 %) were predominant. Comparing groups of study, the incidence of delirium was lower in the intervention group (5.6 %) than in the control group (14.8 %) (p = 0.037). The intervention group had lower days with delirium (0.07 ± 0.308) than the control group (0.34 ± 1.28) (p = 0.016), lower pain intensity (p = 0.002) and lower days of physical restraints (p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: Non-pharmacological care, like the DyDel intervention, includes the family and focuses on the different patient's needs, which can help to reduce the incidence and duration of delirium in patients admitted to adult ICUs. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: DyDel was non-pharmacological and included the family. The DyDel's activities were focused on physiological, psychological, spiritual, and social needs and the experience and trajectory of delirium. The nurse can give humanized care in the ICU by applying DyDel.

Patient characteristics associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms in intensive care unit survivors during a one-year follow-up: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at risk of suffering from posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) after ICU survival. OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of high levels of PTSS the first year after ICU admission. Further, to identify specific combinations of patient characteristics (latent classes based on pre-ICU data, demographics, and clinical characteristics), and to investigate possible associations among these classes and PTSS at 3, 6, and 12 months after ICU admission. METHODS: Self-reported PTSS were measured with Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). PTSS and possible predictive factors (pre-ICU data, demographics, and clinical characteristics) were analyzed using descriptive statistics, latent class analysis, and linear mixed model for repeated measures. RESULTS: High PTSS levels (IES-R ≥ 33) were reported by 14.9 % (95 % confidence interval [CI] [10.0; 21.1]), 16.7 % (95 % CI [11.5; 23.1]), and 18.4 % (95 % CI [12.9; 25.0]) of patients (sample 1, n = 174) at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Three latent classes were identified (sample 2, n = 417). PTSS were significantly associated with class 2 (male with longer hospital stay) at 6 months and class 3 (age≥70, lower level of education, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score, being mechanically ventilated) at all three measurement times. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of high levels of PTSS is the greatest 12 months after ICU admission. Health professionals can use this information to be aware of specific groups of ICU patients reporting PTSS during the first year and follow up on these.