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Saturday, October 12, 2013

ICU patients may often leave with substantial cognitive deficits.

The CBS Evening News reported that, according to a study published Oct. 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine, “patients who are treated in intensive care units often leave with dementia, even when there is no evidence of it prior to their treatment.”

        The Los Angeles Times (10/3, Healy, 3.07M) reports that the study revealed that almost two-thirds of ICU patients “come away from the experience with substantial mental deficits,” and that “three months after leaving the hospital, four in 10 patients continue to have cognitive problems on a par with those seen in cases of moderate traumatic brain injury. “ Approximately a quarter of ICU patients “experience a decline in mental function akin to that seen in patients with mild Alzheimer’s,” the study found.

        The Tennessean (10/3, Wilemon, 417K) reports, “The longer a patient suffers from delirium while in the hospital, the higher the risk for dementia once discharged, the study” also found. What’s more, “the practice of putting critically ill patients into drug-induced comas can lengthen delirium.” Interestingly, “age was not a significant factor for the loss in mental abilities, according to the study, which also found similar results in patients” under the age of 50.

        HealthDay (10/3, Thompson, 5K) points out that the study “involved 821 ICU patients” whose progress and “ability to plan and solve problems” was monitored “at regular intervals.” The story was also covered by the CBS News (10/3, Jaslow, 3.87M) website and the Wall Street Journal (10/2, A6, Landro, Subscription Publication, 5.91M).


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