Physical and Cognitive Impairments at ICU Discharge are Associated with High Long-Term Mortality in ICU Survivors with Solid Malignancies: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND

Many ICU survivors experience post-ICU physical, cognitive, or mental impairments. In ICU survivors with solid malignancies, post-ICU impairments can impede further cancer treatments and negatively impact their outcomes. This study aimed to investigate post-ICU mortalities and their risk factors at ICU discharge in ICU survivors with solid malignancies.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, adult patients with solid malignancies who were unexpectedly admitted to the medical ICU of a tertiary hospital between 2016 and 2022 and survived to ICU discharge were included. Data at ICU discharge were collected from electronic medical records. In-hospital and 1-year mortality and their risk factors were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of the 708 ICU survivors, 25.1% died in the hospital, and 61% died within one year. At ICU discharge, 20.9% had delirium, 3.8% had coma, and 80.6% had impaired mobility. Respiratory support, including bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP), high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), or other oxygen therapies was used in 88.7% of patients. Delirium (adjusted OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.04-2.87; p = 0.035), coma (adjusted OR 5.63; 95% CI 2.09-16.17; p < 0.001), limited mobility (adjusted OR 2.41; 95% CI 1.22-5.14; p = 0.015), and use of BiPAP (adjusted OR 21.63; 95% CI 5.36-99.57; p < 0.001) or HFNC (adjusted OR 7.08; 95% CI 2.45-23.99; p < 0.001) were independently associated with in-hospital mortality. One-year survival was significantly lower in patients with delirium (35%, p < 0.001), coma (26%, p < 0.001), limited mobility (37%, p = 0.003), or those receiving respiratory support at ICU discharge (35%, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

A considerable portion of ICU survivors with solid malignancies died in the hospital or within one year after ICU discharge in our study. Cognitive, mobility, and pulmonary impairments at ICU discharge were significant risk factors for both in-hospital and long-term mortality.