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Multicenter Study
. 2022 Feb 8;327(6):559-565.
doi: 10.1001/jama.2022.0040.

Clinical Outcomes Among Patients With 1-Year Survival Following Intensive Care Unit Treatment for COVID-19

Hidde Heesakkers  1 , Johannes G van der Hoeven  1 , Stijn Corsten  2 , Inge Janssen  3 , Esther Ewalds  4 , Koen S Simons  5 , Brigitte Westerhof  6 , Thijs C D Rettig  7 , Crétien Jacobs  8 , Susanne van Santen  9 , Arjen J C Slooter  10   11 , Margaretha C E van der Woude  12 , Mark van den Boogaard  1 , Marieke Zegers  1
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Clinical Outcomes Among Patients With 1-Year Survival Following Intensive Care Unit Treatment for COVID-19

Hidde Heesakkers et al. JAMA. .

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.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

Figures

Figure.
Figure.. Participant Flowchart of Patients With COVID-19 Treated in the Intensive Care Unit
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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