Survival of critically unwell patients has improved in the last decade due to advances in critical care medicine. Some of these survivors develop cognitive, psychiatric and /or physical disability after treatment in intensive care unit (ICU), which is now recognized as post intensive care syndrome (PICS). Given the limited awareness about PICS in the medical faculty this aspect is often overlooked which may lead to reduced quality of life and cause a lot of suffering of these patients and their families. Efforts should be directed towards preventing PICS by minimizing sedation and early mobilization during ICU.All critical care survivors should be evaluated for PICS and those having signs and symptoms of it should be managed by a multidisciplinary team which includes critical care physician, neuro-psychiatrist, physiotherapist and respiratory therapist,with the use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. This can be achieved through an organizational change and improvement, knowing the high rate of incidence of PICS and its adverse effects on the survivor’s life and daily activities and its effect on the survivor’s family

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.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of patients in the U.S. and millions
worldwide become critically ill. Patients who require care in the
intensive care unit (ICU) have the most serious illnesses, often requiring
multiple forms of life support. While the science of medicine has
significantly advanced in the past 30 years, these advances sometimes
create many questions, such as:
• Will my loved one be able to live independently after this?
• What kind of rehabilitation will my loved one need?
• What will my loved one’s quality of life be after this illness?
More than ever, medical teams rely on families to help them make
important decisions about their loved ones’ care, and their futures.
The purpose of this series is built on the ideas that knowledge is power
and that every patient needs an advocate. Here, we share some of the
most important advances in ICU medicine so patients and their families
can ask educated questions.