The Uncertainty Associated with Moving Early.

Abstract

Some of the most common questions asked of clinicians caring for patients with critical illness are about prognosis: Will my loved one survive? If they do survive, at what cost to their quality of life? While some consolation can be provided that mortality rates for common conditions have fallen,¹ patients who survive the initial intensive care unit admission face an uncertain future, with the potential for significant morbidity, poor mental health, cognitive dysfunction, frequent hospital readmissions, and poor functional recovery.^2,3.