Fatigue One Year After ICU Discharge

Fatigue

Fatigue, Quality of life, Critically ill patients

The investigators contacted consecutive adult patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and mechanically ventilated for at least 72 hours to invite them to an interview at hospital. The investigators administered Mini Mental Status Examination, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy scale for Fatigue (Facit- F) and Short form 36 questionnaires to the consenting patients.

Fatigue is one of the most commonly symptoms reported by patients. There are many causes of pathological fatigue including mental and physical, both neurological (central and peripheral) and non-neurological diseases. Among the last ones, cancer, infections and drugs are factors associated with fatigue, although the mechanism of how non-neurological diseases cause fatigue is not clear. Evidence exists to suggest that patients who have been critically ill continue to face a multitude of physical, psychological and social difficulties in the long term after discharge. As far as fatigue is concerned, greater than 50% of Intensive Care Unit survivors overall reported lowered energy levels and fatigue in the first year after discharge.