Sepsis patients do not differ in health-related quality of life compared with other ICU patients

Abstract

Introduction The aim of the present multicentre study is to assess health-related quality of life in patients with community-acquired sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock (CAS) 6 months after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU) and to compare the health-related quality of life of the ICU survivors with CAS with ICU survivors with other ICU diagnoses. Methods Prospective, multicentre study in nine combined medical and surgical ICUs in Portugal. Health-related quality of life was assessed 6 months after ICU stay, using EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) mailed to patients. ICU-related factors were obtained from the local ICU database and the local database for the SACiUCI follow-up study. Results A total of 313 (52%) surviving patients answered the questionnaire, and of these 91 (29%) were admitted for CAS. There were no significant differences in health-related quality of life between the two study groups. Conclusion Patients admitted to ICU for CAS did not perceived different health-related quality of life compared with ICU patients admitted for other diagnoses. © 2013 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.