Participant retention in follow-up studies of intensive care unit survivors - A scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize participant retention data and related reporting in studies evaluating post-hospital outcomes of survivors of critical illness after an intensive care unit (ICU) stay. REVIEW METHOD USED: A synthesis of literature following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry. Hand searched reference lists and personal files of relevant narrative and systematic review articles. REVIEW METHODS: Articles were screened by pairs of independent reviewers. Similarly, data were abstracted by pairs of data collectors, with conflicts resolved by consensus or by a third reviewer. RESULTS: We included 243 publications, from 225 unique studies of 87,602 participants. Participant retention could not be calculated for any time-points in 13% of studies nor in 22% of all follow-up time-points. Retention ranged from 18-100%. When compared to follow-up before 1-month, retention at each later timepoint was not significantly different. Age and sex were not associated with retention and more recent studies had decreased retention (odds ratio: 0.94 [95% confidence interval: 0.92-0.96; p < 0.001]). Reporting of retention-related study methodology was inconsistent. CONCLUSION: Retention rate could not be calculated for 22% of study follow-up time-points, with retention at the remaining time-points generally being high (≥85%), but with high variability (18% - 100%). ICU survivorship research could be improved via: (i) more detailed guidance on reporting participant retention, and (ii) use of existing resources and best practices to facilitate better study design and to improve participant retention to preserve statistical power and reduce selection bias.

Survivorship After Neurocritical Care: A Scoping Review of Outcomes Beyond Physical Status.

Following intensive care unit hospitalization, survivors of acute neurological injury often experience debilitating short-term and long-term impairments. Although the physical/motor impairments experienced by survivors of acute neurological injury have been described extensively, fewer studies have examined cognitive, mental health, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and employment outcomes. This scoping review describes the publication landscape beyond physical and/or motor sequelae in neurocritical care survivors. Databases were searched for terms related to critical illness, intensive care, and outcomes from January 1970 to March 2022. English-language studies of critically ill adults with a primary neurological diagnosis were included if they reported on at least one outcome of interest: cognition, mental health, HRQoL or employment. Data extraction was performed in duplicate for prespecified variables related to study outcomes. Of 16,036 abstracts screened, 74 citations were identified for inclusion. The studies encompassed seven worldwide regions and eight neurocritical diagnosis categories. Publications reporting outcomes of interest increased from 3 before the year 2000 to 71 after. Follow-up time points included ≤ 1 (n = 15 [20%] citations), 3 (n = 28 [38%]), 6 (n = 28 [38%]), and 12 (n = 21 [28%]) months and 1 to 5 (n = 19 [26%]) and > 5 years (n = 8 [11%]), with 28 (38%) citations evaluating outcomes at multiple time points. Sixty-six assessment tools were used to evaluate the four outcomes of interest: 22 evaluating HRQoL (56 [76%] citations), 21 evaluating cognition (20 [27%] citations), 21 evaluating mental health (18 [24%] citations), and 2 evaluating employment (9 [12%] citations). This scoping review aimed to better understand the literature landscape regarding nonphysical outcomes in survivors of neurocritical care. Although a rising number of publications highlight growing awareness, future efforts are needed to improve study consistency and comparability and characterize outcomes in a disease-specific manner, including outlining of a minimum core outcomes set and associated assessment tools.

Prescription of potentially inappropriate medications after an intensive care unit stay for acute respiratory failure.

BACKGROUND: Among survivors of critical illness, prescription of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) at hospital discharge is thought to be an important, modifiable patient safety concern. To date, there are little empirical data evaluating this issue. RESEARCH QUESTION: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of PIM prescribed to survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) at hospital discharge and explore their association with readmissions or death within 90 days of hospital discharge. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Prospective multicenter cohort study of ARF survivors admitted to ICUs and discharged home. Prospective of new PIMs with a high-adverse-effect profile ("high impact") at discharge was the primary exposure. Potential inappropriateness was determined by a structured consensus process using Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions-Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment, Beers' criteria, and clinical context of prescriptions by a multidisciplinary team. Covariate balancing propensity score was used for the primary analysis. RESULTS: Of the 195 Addressing Post Intensive Care Syndrome-01 (APICS-01) patients, 169 (87%) had ≥1 new medications prescribed at discharge, with 154 (91.1%) prescribed with one or more high-impact (HI) medications. Patients were prescribed a median of 5 [3-7] medications, of which 3 [1-4] were HI. Twenty percent of HI medications were potentially inappropriate. Medications with significant central nervous system side-effects were most prescribed potentially inappropriately. Forty-six (30%) patients experienced readmission or death within 90 days of hospital discharge. After adjusting for prespecified covariates, the association between prescription of potentially inappropriate HI medications and the composite primary outcome did not meet the prespecified threshold for statistical significance (risk ratio: 0.54; 0.26-1.13; p = 0.095) or with the constituent endpoints: readmission (risk ratio: 0.57, 0.27-1.11) or death (0.7, 0.05-9.32). CONCLUSION: At hospital discharge, most ARF survivors are prescribed medications with a high-adverse-effect profile and approximately one-fifth are potentially inappropriate. Although prescription of such medications was not associated with 90-day readmissions and mortality, these results highlight an area for additional investigation.

Impact of a multifaceted early mobility intervention for critically ill children - the PICU Up! trial: study protocol for a multicenter stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Over 50% of all critically ill children develop preventable intensive care unit-acquired morbidity. Early and progressive mobility is associated with improved outcomes in critically ill adults including shortened duration of mechanical ventilation and improved muscle strength. However, the clinical effectiveness of early and progressive mobility in the pediatric intensive care unit has never been rigorously studied. The objective of the study is to evaluate if the PICU Up! intervention, delivered in real-world conditions, decreases mechanical ventilation duration (primary outcome) and improves delirium and functional status compared to usual care in critically ill children. Additionally, the study aims to identify factors associated with reliable PICU Up! delivery. METHODS: The PICU Up! trial is a stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial of a pragmatic, interprofessional, and multifaceted early mobility intervention (PICU Up!) conducted in 10 pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). The trial's primary outcome is days alive free of mechanical ventilation (through day 21). Secondary outcomes include days alive and delirium- and coma-free (ADCF), days alive and coma-free (ACF), days alive, as well as functional status at the earlier of PICU discharge or day 21. Over a 2-year period, data will be collected on 1,440 PICU patients. The study includes an embedded process evaluation to identify factors associated with reliable PICU Up! delivery. DISCUSSION: This study will examine whether a multifaceted strategy to optimize early mobility affects the duration of mechanical ventilation, delirium incidence, and functional outcomes in critically ill children. This study will provide new and important evidence on ways to optimize short and long-term outcomes for pediatric patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04989790. Registered on August 4, 2021.

Health Expectations and Quality of Life After Acute Respiratory Failure: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients often have high expectations for recovery after critical illness, but the impact of these expectations on subsequent quality of life (QoL) after serious illnesses has not been evaluated empirically. RESEARCH QUESTION: Among adult survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF), are met vs unmet expectations for health associated with self-reported QoL 6 months after discharge? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a prospective longitudinal cohort study enrolling consecutive adult patients with ARF managed in ICUs at five academic medical centers. At hospital discharge, we evaluated participants' expected health 6 months in the future via a visual analog scale (VAS; range, 0-100), with higher scores representing better expected health. At 6-month follow-up, perceived health was assessed using the EQ-5D VAS, and QoL was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument. Participants' health expectations were categorized as having been met when perceived health at 6 months was no more than eight points lower than their expectation at study enrollment. The primary analysis compared WHOQOL-BREF domain scores (range, 0-100) at 6 months after discharge in patients with met vs unmet health expectations using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. Secondary analysis modeled WHOQOL-BREF domain scores using multivariate regression, and sensitivity analyses assessed QoL using EQ-5D-5L index values. RESULTS: In the primary analysis, QoL was significantly better among participants with met vs unmet health expectations across all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF: physical health (estimated difference in scores: median, 19 [interquartile range (IQR), 12-15]; P < .001), psychological health (median, 12 [IQR, 6-18]; P < .001), social relationships (median, 6 [IQR, 0-13]; P = .02), and environmental health (median, 12 [IQR, 6-13]; P < .001). In multivariate regression, the difference between expected and perceived health remained associated significantly with the physical health domain score. INTERPRETATION: Fulfillment of health expectations is associated with better QoL after ARF, suggesting a mechanism underpinning successful ICU recovery programs that incorporate normalization and expectation management.

Association Between Unmet Nonmedication Needs After Hospital Discharge and Readmission or Death Among Acute Respiratory Failure Survivors: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize early unmet nonmedication discharge needs (UDNs), classified as durable medical equipment (DME), home health services (HHS), and follow-up medical appointments (FUAs) and explore their association with 90-day readmission and mortality among survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) who were discharged home. DESIGN: Prospective multicenter cohort study. SETTING: Six academic medical centers across United States. PARTICIPANTS: Adult survivors of ARF who required an ICU stay and were discharged home from hospital. INTERVENTIONS: None. Exposure of interest was the proportion of UDN for the following categories: DME, HHS, and FUA ascertained within 7-28 days after hospital discharge. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Two hundred eligible patients were recruited between January 2019 and August 2020. One-hundred ninety-five patients were included in the analytic cohort: 118 were prescribed DME, 134 were prescribed HHS, and 189 needed at least one FUA according to discharge plans. 98.4% (192/195) had at least one identified nonmedication need at hospital discharge. Median (interquartile range) proportion of unmet needs across three categories were 0 (0-15%) for DME, 0 (0-50%) for HHS, and 0 (0-25%) for FUA, and overall was 0 (0-20%). Fifty-six patients (29%) had 90-day death or readmission. After adjusting for prespecified covariates, having greater than the median level of unmet needs was not associated with an increased risk of readmission or death within 90 days of discharge (risk ratio, 0.89; 0.51-1.57; p = 0.690). Age, hospital length of stay, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II severity of illness score, and Multidimensional Scale Perceived Social Support score were associated with UDN. CONCLUSIONS: UDN were common among survivors of ARF but not significantly associated a composite outcome of 90-day readmission or death. Our results highlight the substantial magnitude of UDN and identifies areas especially vulnerable to lapses in healthcare coordination.

Fulfillment of Patient Expectations after Acute Respiratory Failure: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

Rationale: Discussion of patient expectations for recovery is a component of intensive care unit (ICU) follow-up clinics. However, few studies have formally evaluated recovery-related expectations of ICU survivors. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of unmet expectations for recovery 6 months after hospital discharge among adult survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF). Methods: This was a prospective, longitudinal, cohort study of survivors of ARF discharged to home from five U.S. medical centers. Expectations for functional recovery were assessed by asking which activities and instrumental activities of daily living (I/ADLs) survivors expected to perform independently at 6 months. Survivors' expectations for overall health status were assessed using a visual analogue scale ranging from 0 to 100. At 6-month follow-up, participants reported which I/ADLs they could perform independently and rated their overall health status using a 100-point visual analogue scale. We defined a participant's functional expectations as being met if they reported independently performing I/ADLs as expected at hospital discharge. Health expectations were considered to be met when self-rated health status at 6 months was no more than 8 points lower than expected at enrollment. Results: Among 180 enrollees, 169 (94%) were alive, and 160 of these (95%) participated in 6-month follow-up. Functional expectations were met for 71% of participating survivors, and overall health expectations were met for 50%. Expectations for functional independence were high, ranging from 87% (housekeeping) to 99% (using a telephone). General health expectations were variable (median, 85; interquartile range [IQR], 75-95). At 6-month follow-up, self-rated, overall health ranged from 2 to 100 (median, 80; IQR, 60-85). In exploratory analyses, participants with met versus unmet expectations differed most in formal education (functional expectations standardized difference = 0.88; health expectations standardized difference = 0.41). Conclusions: Expectations of survivors of ARF about independent functioning were high and generally met, but half had unmet general health expectations 6 months after discharge. It is difficult to predict whose health expectations will be unmet, but possessing less formal education may be a risk factor. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03797313).

Association between unmet medication needs after hospital discharge and readmission or death among acute respiratory failure survivors: the addressing post-intensive care syndrome (APICS-01) multicenter prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) commonly experience long-lasting physical, cognitive, and/or mental health impairments. Unmet medication needs occurring immediately after hospital discharge may have an important effect on subsequent recovery. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In this multicenter prospective cohort study, we enrolled ARF survivors who were discharged directly home from their acute care hospitalization. The primary exposure was unmet medication needs. The primary outcome was hospital readmission or death within 3 months after discharge. We performed a propensity score analysis, using inverse probability weighting for the primary exposure, to evaluate the exposure-outcome association, with an a priori sample size of 200 ARF survivors. RESULTS: We enrolled 200 ARF survivors, of whom 107 (53%) were female and 77 (39%) were people of color. Median (IQR) age was 55 (43-66) years, APACHE II score 20 (15-26) points, and hospital length of stay 14 (9-21) days. Of the 200 participants, 195 (98%) were in the analytic cohort. One hundred fourteen (57%) patients had at least one unmet medication need; the proportion of medication needs that were unmet was 6% (0-15%). Fifty-six (29%) patients were readmitted or died by 3 months; 10 (5%) died within 3 months. Unmet needs were not associated (risk ratio 1.25; 95% CI 0.75-2.1) with hospital readmission or death, although a higher proportion of unmet needs may have been associated with increased hospital readmission (risk ratio 1.7; 95% CI 0.96-3.1) and decreased mortality (risk ratio 0.13; 95% CI 0.02-0.99). DISCUSSION: Unmet medication needs are common among survivors of acute respiratory failure shortly after discharge home. The association of unmet medication needs with 3-month readmission and mortality is complex and requires additional investigation to inform clinical trials of interventions to reduce unmet medication needs. Study registration number: NCT03738774 . The study was prospectively registered before enrollment of the first patient.

Understanding Patients' Perceived Health After Critical Illness: Analysis of Two Prospective, Longitudinal Studies of ARDS Survivors.

BACKGROUND: Perceived health is one of the strongest determinants of subjective well-being, but it has received little attention among survivors of ARDS. RESEARCH QUESTION: How well do self-reported measures of physical, emotional, and social functioning predict perceived overall health (measured using the EQ-5D visual analog scale [EQ-5D-VAS]) among adult survivors of ARDS? Are demographic features, comorbidity, or severity of illness correlated with perceived health after controlling for self-reported functioning? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed the ARDSNet Long Term Outcomes Study (ALTOS) and Improving Care of Acute Lung Injury Patients (ICAP) Study, two longitudinal cohorts with a total of 823 survivors from 44 US hospitals, which prospectively assessed survivors at 6 and 12 months after ARDS. Perceived health, evaluated using the EQ-5D-VAS, was predicted using ridge regression and self-reported measures of physical, emotional, and social functioning. The difference between observed and predicted perceived health was termed perspective deviation (PD). Correlations between PD and demographics, comorbidities, and severity of illness were explored. RESULTS: The correlation between observed and predicted EQ-5D-VAS scores ranged from 0.68 to 0.73 across the two cohorts and time points. PD ranged from -80 to +34 and was more than the minimum clinically important difference for 52% to 55% of survivors. Neither demographic features, comorbidity, nor severity of illness were correlated strongly with PD, with |r| < 0.25 for all continuous variables in both cohorts and time points. The correlation between PD at 6- and 12-month assessments was weak (ALTOS: r = 0.22, P < .001; ICAP: r = 0.20, P = .02). INTERPRETATION: About half of survivors of ARDS showed clinically important differences in actual perceived health vs predicted perceived health based on self-reported measures of functioning. Survivors of ARDS demographic features, comorbidities, and severity of illness were correlated only weakly with perceived health after controlling for measures of perceived functioning, highlighting the challenge of predicting how individual patients will respond psychologically to new impairments after critical illness.

Six-month and 12-month patient outcomes based on inflammatory subphenotypes in sepsis-associated ARDS: secondary analysis of SAILS-ALTOS trial.

BACKGROUND: Prior acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) trials have identified hypoinflammatory and hyperinflammatory subphenotypes, with distinct differences in short-term outcomes. It is unknown if such differences extend beyond 90 days or are associated with physical, mental health or cognitive outcomes. METHODS: 568 patients in the multicentre Statins for Acutely Injured Lungs from Sepsis trial of rosuvastatin versus placebo were included and assigned a subphenotype. Among 6-month and 12-month survivors (N=232 and 219, respectively, representing 243 unique survivors), subphenotype status was evaluated for association with a range of patient-reported outcomes (eg, mental health symptoms, quality of life). Patient subsets also were evaluated with performance-based tests of physical function (eg, 6 min walk test) and cognition. FINDINGS: The hyperinflammatory versus hypoinflammatory subphenotype had lower overall 12-month cumulative survival (58% vs 72%, p<0.01); however, there was no significant difference in survival beyond 90 days (86% vs 89%, p=0.70). Most survivors had impairment across the range of outcomes, with little difference between subphenotypes at 6-month and 12-month assessments. For instance, at 6 months, in comparing the hypoinflammatory versus hyperinflammatory subphenotypes, respectively, the median (IQR) patient-reported SF-36 mental health domain score was 47 (33-56) vs 44 (35-56) (p=0.99), and the per cent predicted 6 min walk distance was 66% (48%, 80%) vs 66% (49%, 79%) (p=0.76). INTERPRETATION: Comparing the hyperinflammatory versus hypoinflammatory ARDS subphenotype, there was no significant difference in survival beyond 90 days and no consistent findings of important differences in 6-month or 12-month physical, cognitive and mental health outcomes. These findings, when considered with prior results, suggest that inflammatory subphenotypes largely reflect the acute phase of illness and its short-term impact.

Association of imbalance between job workload and functional ability with return to work in ARDS survivors.

BACKGROUND: Inability to return to work (RTW) is common after acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Mismatch in an individual's job workload and his or her functional ability, termed work ability imbalance, is negatively associated with RTW, but has not been evaluated in ARDS survivors. OBJECT: We examine associations between work ability imbalance at 6 months and RTW at 6 months and 12 months, as well as the ability to sustain employment in ARDS survivors. METHODS: Previously employed participants from the ARDS Network Long-Term Outcomes Study (N=341) were evaluated. Pre-ARDS workload was determined based on the US Occupational Information Network classification. Post-ARDS functional ability was assessed using self-reported 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) physical functioning, social functioning and mental health subscales, and Mini-Mental State Examination. ARDS survivors were categorised into four work ability imbalance categories: none, psychosocial, physical, and both psychosocial and physical. RESULTS: Almost 90% of ARDS survivors had a physical and/or psychosocial work ability imbalance at both 6-month and 12-month follow-up. Compared with survivors with no imbalance at 6 months, those with both physical and psychosocial imbalance had lower odds of RTW (6 months: OR=0.33, 95% CI=0.13 to 0.82; 12 months: OR=0.22, 95% CI=0.07 to 0.65). Thirty-eight (19%) of those who ever RTW were subsequently jobless at 12 months. CONCLUSION: Interventions aimed at rebalancing ARDS survivors' work ability by addressing physical and psychosocial aspects of their functional ability and workload should be explored as part of efforts to improve RTW, maintain employment and reduce the financial impact of joblessness.

Heterogeneity in design and analysis of ICU delirium randomized trials: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating interventions to prevent or treat delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU). Efforts to improve the conduct of delirium RCTs are underway, but none address issues related to statistical analysis. The purpose of this review is to evaluate heterogeneity in the design and analysis of delirium outcomes and advance methodological recommendations for delirium RCTs in the ICU. METHODS: Relevant databases, including PubMed and Embase, were searched with no restrictions on language or publication date; the search was conducted on July 8, 2019. RCTs conducted on adult ICU patients with delirium as the primary outcome were included where trial results were available. Data on frequency and duration of delirium assessments, delirium outcome definitions, and statistical methods were independently extracted in duplicate. The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020141204). RESULTS: Among 65 eligible RCTs, 44 (68%) targeted the prevention of delirium. The duration of follow-up varied, with 31 (48%) RCTs having ≤7 days of follow-up, and only 24 (37%) conducting delirium assessments after ICU discharge. The incidence of delirium was the most common outcome (50 RCTs, 77%) for which 8 unique statistical methods were applied. The most common method, applied to 51 of 56 (91%) delirium incidence outcomes, was the two-sample test comparing the proportion of patients who ever experienced delirium. In the presence of censoring of patients at ICU discharge or death, this test may be misleading. The impact of censoring was also not considered in most analyses of the duration of delirium, as evaluated in 24 RCTs, with 21 (88%) delirium duration outcomes analyzed using a non-parametric test or two-sample t test. Composite outcomes (e.g., rank-based delirium- and coma-free days), used in 11 (17%) RCTs, seldom explicitly defined how ICU discharge, and death were incorporated into the definition and were analyzed using non-parametric tests (11 of 13 (85%) composite outcomes). CONCLUSIONS: To improve delirium RCTs, outcomes should be explicitly defined. To account for censoring due to ICU discharge or death, survival analysis methods should be considered for delirium incidence and duration outcomes; non-parametric tests are recommended for rank-based delirium composite outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020141204 . Registration date: 7/3/2019.

Bodily pain in survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome: A 1-year longitudinal follow-up study.

PURPOSE: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) survivors frequently experience bodily pain during recovery after the intensive care unit. Longitudinal course, risk factors and associations with physical and neuropsychological health is lacking. METHODS: We collected self-reported pain using the Short Form-36 Bodily Pain (SF-36 BP) scale, normalized for sex and age (range: 0-100; higher score = less pain), along with physical and mental health measures in a multi-center, prospective cohort of 826 ARDS survivors at 6- and 12-month follow-up. We examined baseline and ICU variables' associations with pain via separate unadjusted regression models. RESULTS: Pain prevalence (SF-36 BP ≤40) was 45% and 42% at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Among 706 patients with both 6- and 12-month data, 34% reported pain at both timepoints. Pre-ARDS employment was associated with less pain at 6-months (mean difference (standard error), 5.7 (0.9), p < 0.001) and 12-months (6.3 (0.9), p < 0.001); smoking history was associated with greater pain (-5.0 (0.9), p < 0.001, and - 5.4 (1.0), p < 0.001, respectively). In-ICU opioid use was associated with greater pain (-6.3 (2.7), p = 0.02, and - 7.3 (2.8), p = 0.01, respectively). At 6 months, 174 (22%) patients reported co-occurring pain, depression and anxiety, and 227 (33%) reported co-occurring pain and impaired physical function. CONCLUSION: Nearly half of ARDS survivors reported bodily pain at 6- and 12-month follow-up; one-third reported pain at both time points. Pre-ARDS unemployment, smoking history, and in-ICU opioid use may identify patients who report greater pain during recovery. Given its frequent co-occurrence, clinicians should manage both physical and neuropsychological issues when pain is reported.

Association of Job Characteristics and Functional Impairments on Return to Work After ARDS.

BACKGROUND: Joblessness is common after ARDS, but related risk factors are not fully understood. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the association between survivors' pre-ARDS workload and post-ARDS functional impairment, pain, and fatigue with their return to work (RTW) status? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The U.S. Occupational Information Network (O∗NET) was used to determine pre-ARDS workload for participants in the ARDS Network Long-Term Outcomes Study (ALTOS). Post-ARDS functional impairment was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination and SF-36 Physical Functioning, Social Functioning, and Mental Health sub-scales, and categorized as either no impairments, only psychosocial impairment, physical with low psychosocial impairment, or physical with high psychosocial impairment. Post-ARDS pain and fatigue were assessed using the SF-36 pain item and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue Scale fatigue scale, respectively. Generalized linear mixed modeling methods were used to evaluate associations among pre-ARDS workload, post-ARDS functional impairment, and symptoms of pain and fatigue with post-ARDS RTW. RESULTS: Pre-ARDS workload was not associated with post-ARDS RTW. However, as compared with survivors with no functional impairment, those with only psychosocial impairment (OR [CI]: 0.18 [0.06-0.50]), as well as physical impairment plus either low psychosocial impairment (0.08 [0.03-0.22]) or high psychosocial impairment (0.01 [0.003-0.05]) had lower odds of working. Pain (0.06 [0.03-0.14]) and fatigue (0.07 [0.03-0.16]) were also negatively associated with RTW. INTERPRETATION: For previously employed survivors of ARDS, post-ARDS psychosocial and physical impairments, pain, and fatigue were negatively associated with RTW, whereas pre-ARDS workload was not associated. These findings are important for designing and implementing vocational interventions for ARDS survivors.

Six-Minute Walk Distance After Critical Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Impaired physical functioning is common and long lasting after an intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a validated and widely used test of functional capacity. This systematic review synthesizes existing data in order to: (1) evaluate 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) in meters over longitudinal follow-up after critical illness, (2) compare 6MWD between acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) versus non-ARDS survivors, and (3) evaluate patient- and ICU-related factors associated with 6MWD. DATA SOURCES: Five databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsychINFO, and Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry) were searched to identify studies reporting 6MWT after hospital discharge in survivors from general (ie, nonspeciality) ICUs. The last search was run on February 14, 2018. Databases were accessed via Johns Hopkins University Library. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Pooled mean 6MWD were reported, with separate linear random effects models used to evaluate associations of 6MWD with ARDS status, and patient- and ICU-related variables. Twenty-six eligible articles on 16 unique participant groups were included. The pooled mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) 6MWD results at 3- and 12-months post discharge were 361 (321-401) and 436 (391-481) meters, respectively. There was a significant increase in 6MWD at 12 months compared to 3 months (P = .017). In ARDS versus non-ARDS survivors, the mean (95% CI) 6MWD difference over 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up was 73 [13-133] meters lower. Female sex and preexisting comorbidity also were significantly associated with lower 6MWD, with ICU-related variables having no consistent associations. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to initial assessment at 3 months, significant improvement in 6MWD was reported at 12 months. Female sex, preexisting comorbidity, and ARDS (vs non-ARDS) were associated with lower 6MWT results. Such factors warrant consideration in the design of clinical research studies and in the interpretation of patient status using the 6MWT.

Anemia in Critically Ill Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Posthospitalization Physical Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Anemia is common during critical illness and often persists after hospital discharge; however, its potential association with physical outcomes after critical illness is unclear. Our objective was to assess the associations between hemoglobin at intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital discharge with physical status at 3-month follow-up in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) survivors. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a multisite prospective cohort study of 195 mechanically ventilated ARDS survivors from 13 ICUs at 4 teaching hospitals in Baltimore, Maryland. Multivariable regression was utilized to assess the relationships between ICU and hospital discharge hemoglobin concentrations with measures of physical status at 3 months, including muscle strength (Medical Research Council sumscore), exercise capacity (6-minute walk distance [6MWD]), and self-reported physical functioning (36-Item Short-Form Health Survey [SF-36v2] Physical Function score and Activities of Daily Living [ADL] dependencies). RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) hemoglobin concentrations at ICU and hospital discharge were 9.5 (8.5-10.7) and 10.0 (9.0-11.2) g/dL, respectively. In multivariable regression analyses, higher ICU discharge hemoglobin concentrations (per 1 g/dL) were associated with greater 3-month 6MWD mean percent of predicted (3.7% [95% confidence interval 0.8%-6.5%]; P = .01) and fewer ADL dependencies (-0.2 [-0.4 to -0.1]; P = .02), but not with percentage of maximal muscle strength (0.7% [-0.9 to 2.3]; P = .37) or SF-36v2 normalized Physical Function scores (0.8 [-0.3 to 1.9]; P = .15). The associations of physical outcomes and hospital discharge hemoglobin concentrations were qualitatively similar, but none were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In ARDS survivors, higher hemoglobin concentrations at ICU discharge, but not hospital discharge, were significantly associated with improved exercise capacity and fewer ADL dependencies. Future studies are warranted to further assess these relationships.

Factors Associated With Home Visits in a 5-Year Study of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Survivors.

BACKGROUND: Participant retention is vital for longitudinal studies. Home visits may increase retention, but little is known about the subset of patients they benefit. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patient-related variables associated with home visits. METHODS: In a 5-year, longitudinal, multisite, prospective study of 195 survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome, in-person assessments were conducted at a research clinic. Home visits were offered to participants who could not attend the clinic. Associations between having a home visit, prior follow-up visit status, and baseline and in-hospital patient variables were evaluated with multivariable, random-intercept logistic regression models. The association between home visits and patients' posthospital clinical status was evaluated with a subsequent regression model adjusted for these variables. RESULTS: Participants had a median age of 49 years and were 56% male and 58% White. The following had independent associations with home visits (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]): age (per year: 1.03 [1.00-1.05]) and immediately preceding visit incomplete (2.46 [1.44-4.19]) or at home (8.24 [4.57-14.86]). After adjustment for prior-visit status and baseline and hospitalization variables, these posthospital patient outcome variables were associated with a subsequent home visit: instrumental activities of daily living (≥ 2 vs < 2 dependencies: 2.32 [1.29-4.17]), EQ-5D utility score (per 0.1-point decrease: 1.15 [1.02-1.30]), and 6-minute walk test (per 10-percentage-point decrease in percent-predicted distance: 1.50 [1.26-1.79]). CONCLUSIONS: Home visits were important for retaining older and more physically impaired study participants, helping reduce selection bias caused by excluding them.

Participant retention in trauma intensive care unit (ICU) follow-up studies: a post-hoc analysis of a previous scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to synthesize participant retention-related data for longitudinal follow-up studies of survivors from trauma intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS: Within a published scoping review evaluating ICU patient outcomes after hospital discharge, two screeners independently searched for trauma ICU survivorship studies. RESULTS: There were 11 trauma ICU follow-up studies, all of which were cohort studies. Twelve months (range: 1-60 months) was the most frequent follow-up time point for assessment (63% of studies). Retention rates ranged from 54% to 94% across time points and could not be calculated for two studies (18%). Pooled retention rates at 3, 6, and 12 months were 75%, 81%, and 81%, respectively. Mean patient age (OR 0.85 per 1-year increase, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.99, p=0.036), percent of men (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.10, p=0.002), and publication year (OR 0.89 per 1-year increase, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.95, p=0.007) were associated with retention rates. Early (3-month) versus later (6-month, 12-month) follow-up time point was not associated with retention rates. DISCUSSION: Pooled retention rates were >75%, at 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month time points, with wide variability across studies and time points. There was little consistency with reporting participant retention methodology and related data. More detailed reporting guidelines, with better author adherence, will help improve reporting of participant retention data. Utilization of existing research resources may help improve participant retention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III: meta-analyses (post-hoc analyses) of a prior scoping review.