Fatigue of ICU Survivors, No Longer to Be Neglected

In the last decades, the world of critical care is becoming increasingly focused not only on survival rates, but also on the well-being of critical care survivors. ARDS continues to represent an important public health problem despite an improvement in survival of approximately 60%.1-3 The long-lasting impairment after ARDS has been suggested as a more meaningful outcome measure than mortality.4 Accordingly, the research has focused on the postcritical sequelae that include physical, psychological, and emotional aspects. Patients who survive ARDS are at risk for physical dysfunction, neurocognitive disorders, and worsened quality of life 6 to 12 months after discharge from the ICU.