The following is a summary of “Sleep and Circadian Health of Critical Survivors: A 12-Month Follow-Up Study,” published in the April 2024 issue of Critical Care by Henríquez-Beltran et al.
Researchers conducted a prospective study examining how sleep and circadian rhythms fare in critical illness survivors one year after discharge, considering if disease severity played a role.
They conducted a single-center observational, prospective study with 260 patients admitted to the ICU for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.
The results showed 260 patients, with 69.2% being males and a median age of 61.5 years (52.0–67.0 yr). The median length of ICU stay was 11.0 days (6.00–21.8 d), with 56.2% requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Poor sleep quality was observed in 43.1% of the cohort based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) 12 months post-hospital discharge. Disease severity influenced circadian rest-activity rhythm fragmentation at 3- and 6-month follow-ups but not in the long term. Longer ICU stays, and IMV duration predicted higher rhythm fragmentation at the 12-month follow-up, with effect sizes (95% CI) of 0.248 (0.078–0.418) and 0.182 (0.005–0.359), respectively. Associations were observed between PSQI and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (rho = 0.55, anxiety; rho = 0.5, depression) and between rhythm fragmentation and diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (rho = –0.35) at this time point.
Investigators found that critical illness survivors often have poor sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances a year after discharge, with disease severity potentially impacting fragmentation.
Source: journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/fulltext/9900/sleep_and_circadian_health_of_critical_survivors_.326.aspx