Post‐intensive care syndrome: its pathophysiology, prevention, and future directions

Expanding elderly populations are a major social challenge in advanced countries worldwide and have led to a rapid increase in the number of elderly patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Innovative advances in medical technology have enabled lifesaving of patients in ICUs, but there remain various problems to improve their long-term prognoses. Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) refers to physical, cognition, and mental impairments that occur during ICU stay, after ICU discharge or hospital discharge, as well as the long-term prognosis of ICU patients. Its concept also applies to pediatric patients (PICS-p) and the mental status of their family (PICS-F). Intensive care unit-acquired weakness, a syndrome…