ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Fatigue after critical illness: prevalence, trajectories, and longitudinal associations in a multicenter ICU survivor follow-up program
Authors' conclusion
Severe fatigue remained common up to 24 months after ICU discharge, with heterogeneous trajectories over time and persistent severe fatigue affecting approximately one-third of survivors. Prior fatigue status, lower functional exercise capacity, and psychological distress were associated with subsequent fatigue
Study context
- Population
- ICU survivors attending a structured ICU follow-up programattended ≥1 follow-up visit
- Participants
- 1,912 survivors
- Outcome
- Severe fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale ≥36)
- Follow-up
- 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after ICU discharge
Methodological detailsstructured ICU follow-up program, six Italian hospitals
- Structured ICU follow-up program
- Six Italian hospitals
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Prevalence of severe fatigue
- Severe fatigue at least once
- 976 patients (51%)
- Severe fatigue at 3 months
- 336/967 (34.7%)
- Severe fatigue at 6 months
- 628/1,522 (41.3%)
- Severe fatigue at 12 months
- 434/1,135 (38.2%)
- Severe fatigue at 24 months
- 64/217 (29.5%)
- Persistent severe fatigue across multiple visits
- 655 patients (34.3%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Predictors at preceding visit of severe fatigue at subsequent visit (time-lagged generalized linear mixed models (GLMM))
| OR (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Prior fatigue statusTime-lagged GLMM including prior fatigue status | 3.00 (1.31–6.84) | |
| Lower functional exercise capacity (6MWT)Time-lagged GLMM including prior fatigue status | 0.77 (0.61–0.95) | |
| Anxiety symptomsTime-lagged GLMM including prior fatigue status | 6.76 (2.01–22.68) | |
| Depression symptomsTime-lagged GLMM including prior fatigue status | 17.8 (4.16–76.47) | |
| 0.050.21520Odds ratio (log scale) |
Original publication
Fatigue after critical illness: prevalence, trajectories, and longitudinal associations in a multicenter ICU survivor follow-up program. Crit Care. Published 11 June 2026. doi:10.
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