Post-intensive Care Syndrome: What Happens After the ICU?

The number of ICU patients admitted annually continues to grow, with most recent estimates reaching 5.7 million. As there are growing numbers of critically ill patients, sepsis survivorship also has grown as a substantial public health concern, with a significant number of survivors diagnosed with post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). It is important to go beyond saving lives in the ICU and devote additional time and attention to preventing and treating the psychiatric, cognitive, and physical sequalae of ICU illness in the follow-up setting.