American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, compromised transitional care for ICU patients may result in complications, including adverse events,4–6 readmission to the ICU,7,8 and increased rates of mortality.5,7,9 The knowledge gained by studying ICU patients, who experience a number of transitions, will provide insight and understanding of the process these patients undergo and facilitate improved clinical practices that may be applicable to other groups of patients. In this article, we review current literature on transitional care for ICU patients, with a focus on contemporary challenges, problematic clinical practices, and future research directions.

Post-intensive care syndrome, also known as PICS, is a group of symptoms that may occur in people after discharge from an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). PICS can affect daily living, slow thinking, or cause difficulties with processing thoughts.

As more patients are surviving intensive care, mental health concerns in survivors have become a research priority. Among these, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can have an important impact on the quality of life of critical care survivors. However, data on its burden are conflicting. Therefore, this systematic review and
meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in adult critical care patients after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge.