ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Trajectories of Palliative Care Needs in the ICU and Long-Term Psychological Distress Symptoms*
Authors' conclusion
Serious palliative care needs were common and persistent among families during ICU care. Improvement in needs was not associated with less psychological distress at 3 months.
Study context
- Population
- Family members of ICU patients receiving mechanical ventilation for ≥ 2 days, six adult medical and surgical ICUs
- Participants
- 159 family members
- Exposure
- NEST improvement ≥ 10 points vs not
- NEST improvement ≥ 10 pointsn = 47
- Outcome
- Palliative care needs (13-item Needs at the End-of-Life Screening Tool, NEST; total score range 0-130) completed by family members
- Follow-up
- Baseline, 3, and 7 days
Methodological detailsmulticentre
- Multicentre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
NEST score
- Median NEST score at baseline
- 22 (IQR, 12-40)
- Median NEST score at 7 days
- 19 (IQR, 9-37)
- Change in NEST score, baseline to 7 days (p = 0.12)
- −2.0; IQR, −11.0 to 5.0
- Serious level of overall need at 7 days
- 53 (33%)
- ≥ 1 individual need at highest severity level at 7 days
- 35 (22%)
- NEST improved ≥ 10 points
- 47 (30%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
PHQ-9, GAD-7 and Post-Traumatic Stress Scale (PTSS) change scores by change in NEST score · 3 months
- No differences (all p > 0.15)
Original publication
Trajectories of Palliative Care Needs in the ICU and Long-Term Psychological Distress Symptoms*. Crit Care Med. Published 3 November 2022. doi:10.
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