Patient-reported physical functioning is limited in almost half of critical illness survivors 1-year after ICU-admission: A retrospective single-centre study

Post-intensive care unit (ICU) sequelae, including physical and mental health problems, are relatively unexplored. Characteristics commonly used to predict outcome lack prognostic value when it comes to long-term physical recovery. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the incidence of non-recovery in long-stay ICU-patients. In this single-centre study, retrospective data of adults with an ICU stay >48 hours who visited the specialized post-ICU clinic, and completed the Dutch RAND 36-item Short Form questionnaire at 3 and 12 months post-ICU, were retrieved from electronic patient records. In cases where physical functioning scores at 12 months were below reference values, patients were allocated to the physical non-recovery (NR) group. Significantly different baseline and (post-)ICU-characteristics were assessed for correlations with physical recovery at 12 months post-ICU. Of 250 patients, 110 (44%) fulfilled the criteria for the NR-group. Neither the severity of illness, type of admission, nor presence of sepsis did not differ between groups. However, NR-patients had a higher age, were more often female, and had a higher incidence of co-morbidities. Shorter LOS ICU, lower incidence of medical comorbidities, and better physical performance at 3 months were significantly correlated with 1-year physical recovery. Comorbidities and reduced physical functioning at 3 months were identified as independent risk-factors for long-term physical non-recovery. In conclusion, a substantial proportion of long-stay ICU-patients who visited the standard care post-ICU clinic did not fulfil the criteria for full physical recovery at 12 months post-ICU. Commonly used ICU-characteristics, such as severity of illness, do not have sufficient prognostic value when it comes to long-term recovery of health-related quality of life.

Metabolic and neurologic sequelae in a patient with long-standing anorexia nervosa who presented with septic shock and deep hypoglycemia

OBJECTIVE

To report the case of a 48-year female with chronic remitting anorexia nervosa who was found comatose at home and admitted to our hospital with a deep hypoglycemia (glucose level 0.6 mmol/L; 11 mg/dL) and septic shock secondary to a bilateral pneumonia.

METHOD

Case report.

RESULTS

After admission to the critical care unit, she further displayed a number of pronounced complications known to be associated with anorexia, including hypophosphatemia, disturbed liver functions and depression of all three hematological cell lines. The neurological recovery of the patient was complicated by encephalopathy and transient tetraparesis. With initial deep hypoglycemia at presentation and persisting coma, magnetic resonance imaging performed 5 days later did not demonstrate characteristic post-hypoglycemic abnormalities. Neuroradiological examination did however reveal the presence of extensive calcifications in the basal ganglia known as Fahr's syndrome.

DISCUSSION

The potential relation between anorexia nervosa and Fahr syndrome has not been described before. The fact that this patient survived a glucose level that is usually associated with a very poor outcome is probably related to its special origin.

[Fatal pneumonitis due to oseltamivir-resistant new influenza A(H1N1) in the case of an intensive care patient]

A 58-year-old man was submitted to our intensive care ward with respiratory failure due to pneumonitis. He had previously been treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma by autologous stem cell transplantation, as a result of which bone marrow function was reduced. Further analysis showed infection with new influenza A(H1N1); typing revealed an oseltamivir-resistant subpopulation (H275Y). The patient was treated with oseltamivir and intravenously with zanamivir, but died of respiratory disease progression. This is the first published case of oseltamivir-resistant new influenza A(H1N1) infection in the Netherlands.

[A man with unusual abdominal gas]

A 34 year old male was admitted to our hospital with a severe pancreatitis. On a CT scan we diagnosed a developing emphysematous pancreatitis. This is a rare form of pancreatitis usually caused by an infection with an Escherichia coli.