Chronic Critical Illness: Are We Saving Patients or Creating Victims?

Overview

Journal Rev Bras Ter Intensiva

Specialties Critical Care
General Medicine

Date 2017 Apr 27

PMID 28444077

Citations 27

Authors

Sergio Henrique Loss

Diego Silva Leite Nunes

Oellen Stuani Franzosi

Gabriela Soranco Salazar

Cassiano Teixeira

Silvia Regina Rios Vieira

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The technological advancements that allow support for organ dysfunction have led to an increase in survival rates for the most critically ill patients. Some of these patients survive the initial acute critical condition but continue to suffer from organ dysfunction and remain in an inflammatory state for long periods of time. This group of critically ill patients has been described since the 1980s and has had different diagnostic criteria over the years. These patients are known to have lengthy hospital stays, undergo significant alterations in muscle and bone metabolism, show immunodeficiency, consume substantial health resources, have reduced functional and cognitive capacity after discharge, create a sizable workload for caregivers, and present high long-term mortality rates. The aim of this review is to report on the most current evidence in terms of the definition, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, treatment, and prognosis of persistent critical illness.

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