Health-related quality of life before, 1 month after, and 9 months after intensive care in medical cardiovascular and pulmonary patients.

OBJECTIVE

Assessment of health-related quality of life before, 1 month after, and 9 months after an intensive care unit stay using an established generic instrument, the Medical Outcome Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36).

DESIGN

Prospective, observational study.

SETTING

University hospital medical intensive care unit.

PATIENTS

Two hundred forty-five patients with predominantly cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Demographic data, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II, and Sepsis-Related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) were obtained. All adult survivors staying in the intensive care unit for >24 hrs were eligible. Pre-intensive care unit status was obtained for 245 patients (179 males, mean age 64 yrs, mean intensive care unit stay 3 days, SAPS II 26 +/- 10), and 153 patients completed all three questionnaires. In this cohort, none of the eight health dimensions of the SF-36 showed impaired functioning after 9 months compared with baseline values. Physical and emotional role deteriorated after 1 month but returned to baseline thereafter. Notably, the mental health summary scale did not change during the course of the study, whereas the physical health summary scale consistently improved over time. Patients older than the median of 66 yrs rated their physical functioning lower. No association with SAPS II or SOFA and SF-36 was found.

CONCLUSION

Quality of life after intensive care unit is a dynamic process, with some functions improving shortly after intensive care unit discharge and others deteriorating but returning at least to baseline values later on. In this patient population, the SF-36 was independent from measures of severity of illness or morbidity. Health-related quality of life represents a feasible method to collect patients' individual views in contrast to surrogate measures of outcome.