Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Objectives
While palliative care needs are assumed to improve during ICU care, few empiric data exist on need trajectories or their impact on long-term outcomes. We aimed to describe trajectories of palliative care needs during ICU care and to determine if changes in needs over 1 week was associated with similar changes in psychological distress symptoms at 3 months.Design
Prospective cohort study.Setting
Six adult medical and surgical ICUs.Participants
Patients receiving mechanical ventilation for greater than or equal to 2 days and their family members.Measurements and main results
The primary outcome was the 13-item Needs at the End-of-Life Screening Tool (NEST; total score range 0-130) completed by family members at baseline, 3, and 7 days. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Post-Traumatic Stress Scale (PTSS) were completed at baseline and 3 months. General linear models were used to estimate differences in distress symptoms by change in need (NEST improvement ≥ 10 points or not). One-hundred fifty-nine family members participated (median age, 54.0 yr [interquartile range (IQR), 44.0-63.0 yr], 125 [78.6%] female, 54 [34.0%] African American). At 7 days, 53 (33%) a serious level of overall need and 35 (22%) ranked greater than or equal to 1 individual need at the highest severity level. NEST scores improved greater than or equal to 10 points in only 47 (30%). Median NEST scores were 22 (IQR, 12-40) at baseline and 19 (IQR, 9-37) at 7 days (change, -2.0; IQR, -11.0 to 5.0; p = 0.12). There were no differences in PHQ-9, GAD-7, or PTSS change scores by change in NEST score (all p > 0.15).Conclusions
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. Serious needs may be commonly underrecognized in current practice.
SUBMITTER: Cox CE
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10191149 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Cox Christopher E CE Gu Jessie J Ashana Deepshikha Charan DC Pratt Elias H EH Haines Krista K Ma Jessica J Olsen Maren K MK Parish Alice A Casarett David D Al-Hegelan Mashael S MS Naglee Colleen C Katz Jason N JN O'Keefe Yasmin Ali YA Harrison Robert W RW Riley Isaretta L IL Bermejo Santos S Dempsey Katelyn K Johnson Kimberly S KS Docherty Sharron L SL
Critical care medicine 20221103 1
<h4>Objectives</h4>While palliative care needs are assumed to improve during ICU care, few empiric data exist on need trajectories or their impact on long-term outcomes. We aimed to describe trajectories of palliative care needs during ICU care and to determine if changes in needs over 1 week was associated with similar changes in psychological distress symptoms at 3 months.<h4>Design</h4>Prospective cohort study.<h4>Setting</h4>Six adult medical and surgical ICUs.<h4>Participants</h4>Patients r ...[more]