The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘Incredible’ ICU recovery team
ADundee ICU doctor hopes more can be done for those leaving intensive care after Covid19 helped “shine a light” on the trauma suffered.
Dr P au line Austin be l ieves increased awareness of what many patients go through can highlight the “incredible” work done by the team at Ninewells Hospital.
The little-known Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Recovery Service has been quietly helping patients on the road to recovery for the last 10 years.
Staff there say just as much of their time is spent looking after non-Covid-19 patients despite the huge spotlight currently on the virus.
Post Intensive Care Syndrome, which has been widely reported among those critically ill with Covid-19, can see surprising symptoms such as hair loss and loss of balance.
Dr Austin, NHS Tayside’s consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine, said such issues are actually common among all those who spend time in the unit.
Dr Austin said: “Regardless of why they have come in to ICU, they still have critical illnesses.
“The features of being critically ill are often much the same as whether you are treating some with pancreatitis or a severe sepsis or they have had coronavirus.
“Covid has really shone the light on intensive care and critical illness.
“Up until this point, we have been treating hundreds of patients a year who have had these problems and who have gone under-recognised.
“Now it’s become quite fashionable to talk about intensive care.
“There has always been groups of people who have had these problems and nobody has really been aware of that.
“We need to do change that and do more for them.”
The nurse- led service supports around 300 patients every year, with those numbers increasing even further due to the pandemic.
It reaches out to people after they are discharged either home or to another unit knowing recovery can take much longer than many expect.
Dr Austin added: “These patients have often gone through pretty traumatic experiences.
“They may have been delirious or confused when in ICU. That can be a really quite frightening experience.
“Everyone is talking about Covid but this is not just about Covid.”
Post Intensive Care Syndrome has been described as just one aspect of so-called ‘ long Covid’ by the National Institute for Health Research.
Others include post-viral fatigue syndrome, longterm Covid syndrome and permanent organ damage.
However, regardless of the injury or illness, many patients leaving ICU face fatigue, difficulties with fine motor skills, stamina, a loss of taste and or appetite, reduced concentration and poor short term memory.
The team, which also includes Fiona Duncan, an ICU liaison nurse, and Donna Harrop, an ICU liaison support nurse, also provides specialist advice to healthcare professionals, other agencies, carers, clients and relatives.