Focus on postdischarge outcomes after hospitalization for a critical illness is important to inform nursing goals of care for patients. This study followed 218 patients who had received mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit (ICU) to assess their status at 2 and 4 months after discharge. Most of the patients experienced what the study called a “better” outcome—one in which there was no cognitive impairment. There were 39 patients who required some level of mechanical ventilation support and in this group, only 1 had achieved a better outcome. In addition, only 29 of 98 patients who were cognitively impaired at discharge reached the better outcome of having no cognitive impairment. The results of the study highlight the importance of monitoring the outcomes of patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation and outcomes for those who develop cognitive impairment during hospitalization for a critical illness.
Barbara Daly, rn, phd,...