Do survivors of acute neurologic injury remember their stay in the neuroscience intensive care unit?

BACKGROUND

Patients in medical, surgical, and trauma intensive care units (ICUs) are at risk for later development of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because acute brain injury can impair recall; we sought to show that neuroscience patients undergoing prolonged neuroscience ICU admission have limited memory of their ICU stay and thus are less likely to develop symptoms of PTSD.

METHODS

We surveyed patients >18 years admitted for 10 days or more to our neuroscience ICU over a 10-year period.

RESULTS

The survey response rate was 50.5% (47/93). Forty percent (19/47) of respondents presented with coma. Recall of details of the ICU admission was limited. Fewer than 10% of patients who required mechanical ventilation recalled being on a ventilator. Only five patients (11%) had responses suggestive of possible post-traumatic stress syndrome. The most commonly experienced symptoms following discharge were difficulty sleeping, difficulty with concentration, and memory loss.

CONCLUSION

Patients requiring prolonged neuroscience ICU admission do not appear to be traumatized by their ICU stay.