A study of psychiatric morbidities in recovering intensive care unit patients

Abstract

Background: Patients recovering from Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission may develop cognitive and psychological symptoms. With the improvement in medical facilities, survival rate of these patients has increased. With increase in survival rate, cognizance of cognitive and psychological symptoms has increased. There is compelling evidence that psychiatric illnesses such as depression impair functional status in patients with chronic medical illnesses. Identification and treatment of these symptoms in an early stage will lead to enhanced recovery and hence improvement in quality of life. Aims: This study commits to sociodemographic profile and assessment of cognitive and psychological symptoms in recovering ICU patients. Materials and Methods: After Institutional Review Board permission, 50 patients recovering from ICU were enrolled to study cognitive symptoms using Mini-Mental Status Examination. Psychological symptoms were assessed using Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. Sociodemographic profile of these patients was also studied. Results: Of 50 patients, 22% suffered from mild to severe cognitive impairment. 22% had borderline symptoms to symptoms amounting to cases of anxiety. 36% patients had borderline symptoms to symptoms amounting to cases of depression. Conclusions: In our study, we found that ICU stay can lead to cognitive impairment in patients. ICU stay can also lead to psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression.

Keywords

• Anxiety
• cognitive symptoms
• depression
• Intensive Care Unit