Post-intensive care syndrome. What clinicians and researchers must know

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted intensive care as a cornerstone of modern medicine. In spite of global aging and the increase of comorbidities in the general population, a large proportion of patients survive their hospitalization in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Nevertheless, these positive results are challenged by the higher mortality rates than other non-critically ill populations after discharge. Moreover, there is growing evidence that ICU survivors display a high rate of mental health disorders (anxiety and depression symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorders), somatic impairment (muscle atrophy, neuropathy, and myopathy with persistent muscle weakness, chronic kidney disease, chronic respiratory failure), or cognitive impairment. Patient’s relatives also suffer from mental health disorders (anxiety and depression symptoms, complicated bereavement). All these chronic health issues significantly impair the quality of life and increase healthcare costs. Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) is a term that encompasses all these complications. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted PICS as a public health concern. This review summarizes the most recent findings on PICS. It addresses epidemiological data about the frequency of somatic disorders, cognitive impairment, and mental health problems in both patients and their relatives and describes the pathophysiology mechanisms underlying PICS. The review also provides insights into management experimentations and treatment interventions that have been tested so far to improve the outcome of critically ill survivors. Finally, the review proposes measures to implement PICS management in follow-up centers and a research agenda to pave the future research on this topic.