Post-traumatic stress disorder in ICU survivors and their families: understanding, preventing, identifying and referring

Etat de stress post-traumatique après la réanimation

Abstract

There are many stress factors during a stay in intensive care. It is essential to examine the consequences of the disease and the care provided in these units in terms of quality of life, beyond the simple fate of patients in terms of mortality. For the past thirty years, studies have measured the prevalence of psychological symptoms in surviving patients and their relatives a few months after their stay in intensive care using dedicated scales, and show that they are at high risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. This condition considerably alters their family, social and professional life on a daily basis. It is possible to prevent PTSD, or at least to alleviate its severity, by acting both on the medical care of the patient, but also on the quality of communication with the patient and his or her relatives: adapted and personalised information and support, psychological support, organisation of the end of life.