John Hopkins Medicine: Results of a multi-institutional national study of nearly 700 people who survived life-threatening illness with a stay in an intensive care unit suggest that a substantial majority of them are at high risk for persistent depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder -- especially if they are female, young and unemployed.

Post-sepsis syndrome is a condition that affects up to 50% of sepsis survivors.

PICS isn’t just an ICU issue. As a nurse, you can make a positive impact in various settings throughout the continuum of care. The strongest evidence to date supports that, for families of ICU patients, communication and information help minimize adverse outcomes. What caregivers say, how they say it, how soon, how often, and how it’s perceived by patients and families are factors that have been studied and seem to affect long-term consequences of critical illness. Early mobility is known to minimize both physical problems and delirium in ICU patients.