ICU delirium can have short-term and long-term effects on people who experience it.
Short-term effects
Short-term effects may include:
- changes to how a person acts or looks
- longer hospital stays
- needing to be on a breathing machine for longer
- stress on families and caregivers
- higher costs related to care
Long-term effects
Many people have problems after going home from ICU. Some problems are related to the original reason they were in ICU, and some problems are related to ICU delirium.
Getting back to normal life at home after an ICU stay can take time. The following are common problems that can happen at home after being in the ICU:
- feeling very weak
- feeling tired (fatigue)
- having trouble sleeping or bad dreams
- mood changes, such as feeling anxious or depressed
- memory problems or trouble thinking (called cognitive impairment)
- trouble with day-to-day activities, such as following a recipe, doing simple chores, or going back to work
- speech problems
Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) is a newer term that describes these symptoms. The exact cause of PICS is not knowns, but having ICU delirium may be a risk factor. If you or your loved one have these symptoms, talk to a healthcare provider to find out if they are related to a recent ICU stay or something else.
See
tips for recovery to learn more about managing the effects of ICU delirium for yourself or a loved one.
