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Return to work after discharge from the intensive care unit: a Brazilian multicenter cohort

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To describe the rate and factors related to nonreturn to work in the third month after discharge from the intensive care unit and the impact of unemployment, loss of income and health care expenses for survivors.

Methods:

This was a prospective multicenter cohort study that included survivors of severe acute illness who were hospitalized between 2015 and 2018, previously employed, and who stayed more than 72 hours in the intensive care unit. Outcomes were assessed by telephone interview in the third month after discharge.

Results:

Of the 316 patients included in the study who had previously worked, 193 (61.1%) did not return to work within 3 months after discharge from the intensive care unit. The following factors were associated with nonreturn to work: low educational level (prevalence ratio 1.39; 95%CI 1.10 - 1.74; p = 0.006), previous employment relationship (prevalence ratio 1.32; 95%CI 1 10 - 1.58; p = 0.003), need for mechanical ventilation (prevalence ratio 1.20; 95%CI 1.01 - 1.42; p = 0.04) and physical dependence in the third month after discharge (prevalence ratio 1.27; 95%CI 1.08 - 1.48; p = 0.003). Survivors who were unable to return to work more often had reduced family income (49.7% versus 33.3%; p = 0.008) and increased health expenditures (66.9% versus 48.3%; p = 0.002). compared to those who returned to work in the third month after discharge from the intensive care unit.

Conclusion:

Intensive care unit survivors often do not return to work until the third month after discharge from the intensive care unit. Low educational level, formal job, need for ventilatory support and physical dependence in the third month after discharge were related to nonreturn to work. Failure to return to work was also associated with reduced family income and increased health care costs after discharge.

Keywords:
Return to work; Health expenditures; Prognosis; Intensive care units

RESUMO

Objetivo:

Descrever a taxa e os fatores relacionados ao não retorno ao trabalho no terceiro mês pós-alta da unidade de terapia intensiva, além dos impactos do desemprego, da perda de renda e dos gastos com saúde para os sobreviventes.

Métodos:

Estudo de coorte prospectivo multicêntrico, que incluiu sobreviventes da doença aguda grave, hospitalizados entre 2015 e 2018, previamente empregados, que permaneceram mais de 72 horas internados na unidade de terapia intensiva. Os desfechos foram avaliados por entrevista telefônica no terceiro mês após a alta.

Resultados:

Dos 316 pacientes incluídos no estudo que trabalhavam previamente, 193 (61,1%) não retornaram ao trabalho nos 3 meses após a alta da unidade de terapia intensiva. Foram associados ao não retorno ao trabalho: baixo nível educacional (razão de prevalência de 1,39; IC95% 1,10 - 1,74; p = 0,006), vínculo empregatício prévio (razão de prevalência de 1,32; IC95% 1,10 - 1,58; p = 0,003), necessidade de ventilação mecânica (razão de prevalência de 1,20; IC95% 1,01 - 1,42; p = 0,04) e dependência física no terceiro mês pós-alta (razão de prevalência de 1,27; IC95% 1,08 - 1,48; p = 0,003). Os sobreviventes incapazes de retornar ao trabalho mais frequentemente apresentaram redução da renda familiar (49,7% versus 33,3%; p = 0,008) e aumento dos gastos em saúde (66,9% versus 48,3%; p = 0,002) quando comparados àqueles que retornaram ao trabalho no terceiro mês após a alta da unidade de terapia intensiva.

Conclusão:

Frequentemente, os sobreviventes de unidade de terapia intensiva não retornam ao trabalho até o terceiro mês pós-alta da unidade de terapia intensiva. Baixo nível educacional, trabalho formal, necessidade de suporte ventilatório e dependência física no terceiro mês pós-alta relacionaram-se ao não retorno ao trabalho. O não retorno ao trabalho também se relacionou com redução na renda familiar e aumento dos custos com saúde após a alta da unidade de terapia intensiva.

Descritores:
Retorno ao trabalho; Gastos em saúde; Prognóstico; Unidades de terapia intensiva

INTRODUCTION

The world population is increasing and aging rapidly.(11 Boccardi V. Population ageing: the need for a care revolution in world 2.0. Geriatrics (Basel). 2019;4(3):47.) Thus, an increasing number of patients require intensive care(22 Halpern NA, Pastores SM. Critical care medicine in the United States 2000-2005: an analysis of bed numbers, occupancy rates, payer mix, and costs. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(1):65-71.) and are able to survive a severe acute illness.(33 Stevenson EK, Rubenstein AR, Radin GT, Wiener RS, Walkey AJ. Two decades of mortality trends among patients with severe sepsis: a comparative meta-analysis. Crit Care Med. 2014;42(3):625-31.) In this context of recovery, regaining the ability to return to work seems to be a logical and healthy outcome. However, survivors of a severe acute illness begin to face new physical disabilities, psychological changes and cognitive deficits(44 Desai SV, Law TJ, Needham DM. Long-term complications of critical care. Crit Care Med. 2011;39(2):371-9.

5 Hopkins RO, Jackson JC. Long-term neurocognitive function after critical illness. Chest. 2006;130(3):869-78.

6 Oeyen SG, Vandijck DM, Benoit DD, Annemans L, Decruyenaere JM. Quality of life after intensive care: a systematic review of the literature. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(12):2386-400.
-77 Needham DM, Davidson J, Cohen H, Hopkins RO, Weinert C, Wunsch H, et al. Improving long-term outcomes after discharge from intensive care unit: report from a stakeholders’ conference. Crit Care Med. 2012;40(2):502-9.) that can prevent them from working again.

Approximately 40 - 65% of patients discharged from intensive care units (ICUs) were no longer working or studying before suffering a severe acute illness.(88 Griffiths J, Hatch RA, Bishop J, Morgan K, Jenkinson C, Cuthbertson BH, et al. An exploration of social and economic outcome and associated health-related quality of life after critical illness in general intensive care unit survivors: a 12-month follow-up study. Crit Care. 2013;17(3):R100.

9 Norman BC, Jackson JC, Graves JA, Girard TD, Pandharipande PP, Brummel NE, et al. Employment outcomes after critical illness: an analysis of the bringing to light the risk factors and incidence of neuropsychological dysfunction in ICU survivors cohort. Crit Care Med. 2016;44(11):2003-9.

10 Myhren H, Ekeberg Ø, Stokland O. Health-related quality of life and return to work after critical illness in general intensive care unit patients: a 1-year follow-up study. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(7):1554-61.

11 Kamdar BB, Huang M, Dinglas VD, Colantuoni E, von Wachter TM, Hopkins RO, Needham DM; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network. Joblessness and lost earnings after acute respiratory distress syndrome in a 1-year national multicenter study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017;196(8):1012-20.

12 Kamdar BB, Sepulveda KA, Chong A, Lord RK, Dinglas VD, Mendez-Tellez PA, et al. Return to work and lost earnings after acute respiratory distress syndrome: a 5-year prospective, longitudinal study of long-term survivors. Thorax. 2018;73(2):125-33.
-1313 Goei H, Hop MJ, van der Vlies CH, Nieuwenhuis MK, Polinder S, Middelkoop E, van Baar ME; ‘Dutch Burn Repository group’ consists of. Return to work after specialised burn care: a two-year prospective follow-up study of the prevalence, predictors and related costs. Injury. 2016;47(9):1975-82.) Among those who worked before admission to the ICU, there is a high rate of nonreturn to work (due to retirement or dismissal) or nonreturn to usual activities of life (for example, studying), reaching 30 - 58% in 3 months after discharge,(99 Norman BC, Jackson JC, Graves JA, Girard TD, Pandharipande PP, Brummel NE, et al. Employment outcomes after critical illness: an analysis of the bringing to light the risk factors and incidence of neuropsychological dysfunction in ICU survivors cohort. Crit Care Med. 2016;44(11):2003-9.,1313 Goei H, Hop MJ, van der Vlies CH, Nieuwenhuis MK, Polinder S, Middelkoop E, van Baar ME; ‘Dutch Burn Repository group’ consists of. Return to work after specialised burn care: a two-year prospective follow-up study of the prevalence, predictors and related costs. Injury. 2016;47(9):1975-82.,1414 Kamdar BB, Suri R, Suchyta MR, Digrande KF, Sherwood KD, Colantuoni E, et al. Return to work after critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax. 2020;75(1):17-27.) 30 - 49% at 6 months(1111 Kamdar BB, Huang M, Dinglas VD, Colantuoni E, von Wachter TM, Hopkins RO, Needham DM; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network. Joblessness and lost earnings after acute respiratory distress syndrome in a 1-year national multicenter study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017;196(8):1012-20..1414 Kamdar BB, Suri R, Suchyta MR, Digrande KF, Sherwood KD, Colantuoni E, et al. Return to work after critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax. 2020;75(1):17-27.

15 Eddleston JM, White P, Guthrie E. Survival, morbidity, and quality of life after discharge from intensive care. Crit Care Med. 2000;28(7):2293-9.
-1616 Palmu R, Partonen T, Suominen K, Vuola J, Isometsä E. Return to work six months after burn: a prospective study at the Helsinki Burn Center. Burns. 2015;41(6):1152-60.) and 47 - 65% at 12 months.(88 Griffiths J, Hatch RA, Bishop J, Morgan K, Jenkinson C, Cuthbertson BH, et al. An exploration of social and economic outcome and associated health-related quality of life after critical illness in general intensive care unit survivors: a 12-month follow-up study. Crit Care. 2013;17(3):R100.

9 Norman BC, Jackson JC, Graves JA, Girard TD, Pandharipande PP, Brummel NE, et al. Employment outcomes after critical illness: an analysis of the bringing to light the risk factors and incidence of neuropsychological dysfunction in ICU survivors cohort. Crit Care Med. 2016;44(11):2003-9.

10 Myhren H, Ekeberg Ø, Stokland O. Health-related quality of life and return to work after critical illness in general intensive care unit patients: a 1-year follow-up study. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(7):1554-61.
-1111 Kamdar BB, Huang M, Dinglas VD, Colantuoni E, von Wachter TM, Hopkins RO, Needham DM; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network. Joblessness and lost earnings after acute respiratory distress syndrome in a 1-year national multicenter study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017;196(8):1012-20.,1414 Kamdar BB, Suri R, Suchyta MR, Digrande KF, Sherwood KD, Colantuoni E, et al. Return to work after critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax. 2020;75(1):17-27.,1515 Eddleston JM, White P, Guthrie E. Survival, morbidity, and quality of life after discharge from intensive care. Crit Care Med. 2000;28(7):2293-9.,1717 Herridge MS, Tansey CM, Matté A, Tomlinson G, Diaz-Granados N, Cooper A, Guest CB, Mazer CD, Mehta S, Stewart TE, Kudlow P, Cook D, Slutsky AS, Cheung AM; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. Functional disability 5 years after acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(14):1293-304.

18 Davydow DS, Zatzick DF, Rivara FP, Jurkovich GJ, Wang J, Roy-Byrne PP, et al. Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and return to usual major activity in traumatically injured intensive care unit survivors. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2009;31(5):428-35.
-1919 Zatzick D, Jurkovich GJ, Rivara FP, Wang J, Fan MY, Joesch J, et al. A national US study of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and work and functional outcomes after hospitalization for traumatic injury. Ann Surg. 2008;248(3):429-37.) In addition, for those patients able to return to the labor market, the need to reduce working hours or change job responsibilities is frequent. In this regard, income reduction has been demonstrated both for unemployed survivors of severe acute illness(88 Griffiths J, Hatch RA, Bishop J, Morgan K, Jenkinson C, Cuthbertson BH, et al. An exploration of social and economic outcome and associated health-related quality of life after critical illness in general intensive care unit survivors: a 12-month follow-up study. Crit Care. 2013;17(3):R100..1414 Kamdar BB, Suri R, Suchyta MR, Digrande KF, Sherwood KD, Colantuoni E, et al. Return to work after critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax. 2020;75(1):17-27.) and for those who return to the labor market after discharge from the ICU.(1414 Kamdar BB, Suri R, Suchyta MR, Digrande KF, Sherwood KD, Colantuoni E, et al. Return to work after critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax. 2020;75(1):17-27.)

Most authors who investigated the outcome return to work after ICU discharge did so as a secondary outcome,(1515 Eddleston JM, White P, Guthrie E. Survival, morbidity, and quality of life after discharge from intensive care. Crit Care Med. 2000;28(7):2293-9..1717 Herridge MS, Tansey CM, Matté A, Tomlinson G, Diaz-Granados N, Cooper A, Guest CB, Mazer CD, Mehta S, Stewart TE, Kudlow P, Cook D, Slutsky AS, Cheung AM; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. Functional disability 5 years after acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(14):1293-304.

18 Davydow DS, Zatzick DF, Rivara FP, Jurkovich GJ, Wang J, Roy-Byrne PP, et al. Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and return to usual major activity in traumatically injured intensive care unit survivors. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2009;31(5):428-35.

19 Zatzick D, Jurkovich GJ, Rivara FP, Wang J, Fan MY, Joesch J, et al. A national US study of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and work and functional outcomes after hospitalization for traumatic injury. Ann Surg. 2008;248(3):429-37.

20 Quasim T, Brown J, Kinsella J. Employment, social dependency and return to work after intensive care. J Intensive Care Soc. 2015;16(1):31-6.

21 Ringdal M, Plos K, Örtenwall P, Bergbom I. Memories and health-related quality of life after intensive care: a follow-up study. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(1):38-44.

22 Zatzick DF, Rivara FP, Nathens AB, Jurkovich GJ, Wang J, Fan MY, et al. A nationwide US study of post-traumatic stress after hospitalization for physical injury. Psychol Med. 2007;37(10):1469-80.
-2323 Adhikari NK, McAndrews MP, Tansey CM, Matté A, Pinto R, Cheung AM, et al. Self-reported symptoms of depression and memory dysfunction in survivors of ARDS. Chest. 2009;135(3):678-87.) prioritizing the evaluation of quality of life as the main outcome. In addition, these studies were conducted in North American and European populations, and to date, there are no studies (to our knowledge) on return to work after severe acute illness in Brazil.

Some authors(99 Norman BC, Jackson JC, Graves JA, Girard TD, Pandharipande PP, Brummel NE, et al. Employment outcomes after critical illness: an analysis of the bringing to light the risk factors and incidence of neuropsychological dysfunction in ICU survivors cohort. Crit Care Med. 2016;44(11):2003-9..2424 Rothenhäusler HB, Ehrentraut S, Stoll C, Schelling G, Kapfhammer HP. The relationship between cognitive performance and employment and health status in long-term survivors of the acute respiratory distress syndrome: results of an exploratory study. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2001;23(2):90-6.) have already associated the nonreturn to employment with the worsening of cognition. Others(1919 Zatzick D, Jurkovich GJ, Rivara FP, Wang J, Fan MY, Joesch J, et al. A national US study of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and work and functional outcomes after hospitalization for traumatic injury. Ann Surg. 2008;248(3):429-37.,2121 Ringdal M, Plos K, Örtenwall P, Bergbom I. Memories and health-related quality of life after intensive care: a follow-up study. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(1):38-44.,2323 Adhikari NK, McAndrews MP, Tansey CM, Matté A, Pinto R, Cheung AM, et al. Self-reported symptoms of depression and memory dysfunction in survivors of ARDS. Chest. 2009;135(3):678-87.) associate it with the presence of psychological disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression.(1616 Palmu R, Partonen T, Suominen K, Vuola J, Isometsä E. Return to work six months after burn: a prospective study at the Helsinki Burn Center. Burns. 2015;41(6):1152-60.) There are still others who reported a connection with worsening health-related quality of life.(1010 Myhren H, Ekeberg Ø, Stokland O. Health-related quality of life and return to work after critical illness in general intensive care unit patients: a 1-year follow-up study. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(7):1554-61.

11 Kamdar BB, Huang M, Dinglas VD, Colantuoni E, von Wachter TM, Hopkins RO, Needham DM; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network. Joblessness and lost earnings after acute respiratory distress syndrome in a 1-year national multicenter study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017;196(8):1012-20.
-1212 Kamdar BB, Sepulveda KA, Chong A, Lord RK, Dinglas VD, Mendez-Tellez PA, et al. Return to work and lost earnings after acute respiratory distress syndrome: a 5-year prospective, longitudinal study of long-term survivors. Thorax. 2018;73(2):125-33.) The inability to return to work is believed to be a significant outcome for the patient and a consequence of the onset or worsening of these motor, psychological or cognitive deficits prevalent in ICU survivors.(1414 Kamdar BB, Suri R, Suchyta MR, Digrande KF, Sherwood KD, Colantuoni E, et al. Return to work after critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax. 2020;75(1):17-27.)

Thus, this study aimed to describe the rate and factors related to nonreturn to work in the third month after discharge from the intensive care unit, in addition to the impacts of unemployment, loss of income and health expenditures for survivors.

METHODS

This study is a subanalysis of the Evaluation of Quality of Life after ICU Discharge study.(2525 Rosa RG, Falavigna M, Robinson CC, Sanchez EC, Kochhann R, Schneider D, Sganzerla D, Dietrich C, Barbosa MG, de Souza D, Rech GS, Dos Santos RR, da Silva AP, Santos MM, Dal Lago P, Sharshar T, Bozza FA, Teixeira C; Quality of Life After ICU Study Group Investigators and the BRICNet. Early and late mortality following discharge from the ICU: a multicenter prospective cohort study. Crit Care Med. 2020;48(1):64-72.) This was a prospective, multicenter cohort study conducted from 2015 to 2018 in ten Brazilian medical-surgical ICUs of public or private hospitals, covering the five macroregions of the country. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universidade de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (No. 160,969) and by all the hospitals that participated in the data collection.

The study included patients older than 18 years, survivors of ICU admission, with a length of stay in the ICU ≥ 72 hours in cases of urgent clinical or surgical hospitalization and ≥ 120 hours in cases of elective surgical hospitalization. All signed the Free and Informed Consent Form.

Exclusion criteria were patients who were not working prior to severe acute illness, those readmitted to the ICU during the same hospital stay, those transferred directly from another hospital to the ICU, those discharged from the ICU to home or to another hospital, those in respiratory isolation after discharge from the ICU and those who did not provide informed consent or had no telephone contact information. Patients who were discharged from the ICU while still in the hospital were consecutively screened and invited to participate in the study. Consent was obtained from the patient or his or her guardian. Data on ICU admission were collected during hospitalization.

The following were evaluated: sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, whether work was formal or informal, education, monthly family income); health status before ICU admission (presence of comorbidities, assessed by the Charlson comorbidity index,(2626 Charlson M, Pompei P, Ales KL, MacKenzie CR. A new method of classifying prognostic comorbidity in longitudinal studies: development and validation. J Chronic Dis. 1987;40(5):373-83.) and physical-functional status, measured by the Barthel index);(2727 Mahoney FI, Barthel DW. Functional evaluation: the Barthel index. Md State Med J. 1965;14:61-5.) characteristics of severe acute illness (type of ICU admission; risk of death on ICU admission, estimated risk of death as a percentage using the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II - APACHE II or the Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3 - SAPS 3; diagnosis of sepsis, defined by the criteria for sepsis-II,(2828 Dellinger RP, Levy MM, Rhodes A, Annane D, Gerlach H, Opal SM, Sevransky JE, Sprung CL, Douglas IS, Jaeschke R, Osborn TM, Nunnally ME, Townsend SR, Reinhart K, Kleinpell RM, Angus DC, Deutschman CS, Machado FR, Rubenfeld GD, Webb SA, Beale RJ, Vincent JL, Moreno R; Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines Committee including the Pediatric Subgroup. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: international guidelines for management of severe sepsis and septic shock: 2012. Crit Care Med. 2013;41(2):580-637.) and acute respiratory distress syndrome - ARDS, according to the Berlin definition;(2929 ARDS Definition Task Force, Ranieri VM, Rubenfeld GD, Thompson BT, Ferguson ND, Caldwell E, Fan E, et al. Acute respiratory distress syndrome: the Berlin Definition. JAMA. 2012;307(23):2526-33.) organ dysfunction during ICU stay, as a need for mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, renal replacement therapy, parenteral nutrition and transfusion of blood products and delirium; and length of stay in the ICU); and health status after immediate discharge from the ICU (cognitive alteration measured by the Mini-Mental State Exam - MMSE, degree of muscle strength measured by the Medical Research Council - CRM(2525 Rosa RG, Falavigna M, Robinson CC, Sanchez EC, Kochhann R, Schneider D, Sganzerla D, Dietrich C, Barbosa MG, de Souza D, Rech GS, Dos Santos RR, da Silva AP, Santos MM, Dal Lago P, Sharshar T, Bozza FA, Teixeira C; Quality of Life After ICU Study Group Investigators and the BRICNet. Early and late mortality following discharge from the ICU: a multicenter prospective cohort study. Crit Care Med. 2020;48(1):64-72.) and presence of symptoms of anxiety and depression measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - HADS).(2525 Rosa RG, Falavigna M, Robinson CC, Sanchez EC, Kochhann R, Schneider D, Sganzerla D, Dietrich C, Barbosa MG, de Souza D, Rech GS, Dos Santos RR, da Silva AP, Santos MM, Dal Lago P, Sharshar T, Bozza FA, Teixeira C; Quality of Life After ICU Study Group Investigators and the BRICNet. Early and late mortality following discharge from the ICU: a multicenter prospective cohort study. Crit Care Med. 2020;48(1):64-72.)

All outcomes were assessed by telephone interviews in the third month after ICU discharge, which were conducted by trained researchers. The evaluation of employment status was performed using a direct question. To assess the change in family income and health care expenditures, the participants were asked whether the values had increased, decreased or remained unchanged compared to income and expenditures prior to hospitalization. The return to work rate at 3 months among patients working at the time of admission to the ICU was considered the primary outcome measure.

The secondary outcomes evaluated were factors related to nonreturn to work, change in family income and health-related costs, comparing the period before and after admission to the ICU.

Statistical analysis

Categorical variables were described as absolute and relative frequencies, while continuous variables were described as the mean and standard deviation or the median and interquartile range (IQR), according to the distribution of the variable. The factors associated with nonreturn to work were assessed using modified Poisson regression models, with robust variance estimation. All variables with p < 0.20 in the univariate models were included in the multivariate model and selected according to the forward method. The results are presented as the prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI). The outcomes of health expenditure variation and family income were compared using Pearson’s chi-square test. The adopted significance level was 5%, and the analyses were performed using R software, version 3.6.0.(3030 R Core Team. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing, 2019. Available from: https://www.gbif.org/pt/tool/81287/r-a-language-and-environment-for-statistical-computing
https://www.gbif.org/pt/tool/81287/r-a-l...
)

RESULTS

Patient characteristics

The demographic and clinical characteristics of the cohort, as well as the data on the severity of the acute disease, are shown in table 1. We evaluated 316 patients who were working prior to ICU admission and were alive 3 months after ICU discharge (Figure 1). The median age of the included patients was 54 years (IQR 36.8 - 63.0), 22.8% were ≥ 65 years, and 33.5% were women. The median level of education was 11 years (IQR 8 - 16). The median per capita family income was R$3,088 (IQR 1,793 - 7,484). Among the reasons for ICU admission, 69.3% of the patients were admitted due to medical conditions, 15.2% due to elective surgery and 15.5% due to emergency surgery. At ICU discharge, 65.5% of the patients had cognitive dysfunction, 76.1% had muscle weakness, 60.1% had symptoms of anxiety and 78.7% had symptoms of depression. In the third month after ICU discharge, 79.3% of the patients were physically dependent, and 50.5% had functional loss compared to their state prior to ICU admission.

Table 1
Demographic and clinical characteristics after discharge from the intensive care unit

Figure 1
Flowchart of the study population

Probability of not returning to work

Of 316 patients employed prior to hospitalization, 193 (61.1%) did not return to work in the 3 months after ICU discharge. Figure 2 shows the main reasons why those who worked prior to ICU admission did not return to work in the 3 months following discharge. Leave due to health problems (current sick leave certificate provided by the Unified Health System - SUS) was responsible for 91.6% of the cases of nonreturn to work within 3 months. The remaining small percentage were not working because they retired during that period or lost their jobs. In addition, retirement was the main reason for not working prior to admission to the ICU, and absence from work for health reasons was responsible for approximately 20% of absences (Figure 3).

Figure 2
Reasons for not returning to work 3 months after discharge from the intensive care unit.

Figure 3
Reasons not to work prior to admission to the intensive care unit.

Factors associated with nonreturn to work

Multivariate analysis (Table 2) showed that the factors associated with nonreturn to work after ICU discharge were low educational level (PR 1.39; 95%CI 1.10 - 1.74; p = 0.006), having a formal job (PR 1.32; 95%CI 1.10 - 1.58; p = 0.003), need for mechanical ventilation (PR 1.20; 95%CI 1.01 - 1.42; p = 0.04) and physical dependence in the third month (RP 1.27; 95%CI 1.08 - 1.48; p = 0.003).

Table 2
Multivariate analysis of factors related to nonreturn to work

Variation in family income and health expenditures

Survivors who were unable to return to work more often had reduced family income (49.7% versus 33.3%; p = 0.008) and increased health expenditures (66.9% versus 48.3%; p = 0.002) compared to those who returned to work in the third month after ICU discharge.

DISCUSSION

The study data showed that 61.1% of critically ill patients were unable to return to work in the first 3 months after ICU discharge. The risk of nonreturn is related to prehospitalization factors (low educational level and having a formal job), disease severity (requirement of mechanical ventilation during ICU stay) and motor sequelae after discharge (physical dependence). In addition, this subgroup of patients reported higher health care expenditures and reduced family income.

Previous data have shown that 40% to 65% of critically ill patients admitted to ICUs no longer work prior to admission.(88 Griffiths J, Hatch RA, Bishop J, Morgan K, Jenkinson C, Cuthbertson BH, et al. An exploration of social and economic outcome and associated health-related quality of life after critical illness in general intensive care unit survivors: a 12-month follow-up study. Crit Care. 2013;17(3):R100.

9 Norman BC, Jackson JC, Graves JA, Girard TD, Pandharipande PP, Brummel NE, et al. Employment outcomes after critical illness: an analysis of the bringing to light the risk factors and incidence of neuropsychological dysfunction in ICU survivors cohort. Crit Care Med. 2016;44(11):2003-9.

10 Myhren H, Ekeberg Ø, Stokland O. Health-related quality of life and return to work after critical illness in general intensive care unit patients: a 1-year follow-up study. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(7):1554-61.

11 Kamdar BB, Huang M, Dinglas VD, Colantuoni E, von Wachter TM, Hopkins RO, Needham DM; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network. Joblessness and lost earnings after acute respiratory distress syndrome in a 1-year national multicenter study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017;196(8):1012-20.

12 Kamdar BB, Sepulveda KA, Chong A, Lord RK, Dinglas VD, Mendez-Tellez PA, et al. Return to work and lost earnings after acute respiratory distress syndrome: a 5-year prospective, longitudinal study of long-term survivors. Thorax. 2018;73(2):125-33.
-1313 Goei H, Hop MJ, van der Vlies CH, Nieuwenhuis MK, Polinder S, Middelkoop E, van Baar ME; ‘Dutch Burn Repository group’ consists of. Return to work after specialised burn care: a two-year prospective follow-up study of the prevalence, predictors and related costs. Injury. 2016;47(9):1975-82.) This is probably related to the greater aging of the population and the high prevalence of comorbidities found in these patients.(11 Boccardi V. Population ageing: the need for a care revolution in world 2.0. Geriatrics (Basel). 2019;4(3):47..3131 Orwelius L, Nordlund A, Edéll-Gustafsson U, Simonsson E, Nordlund P, Kristenson M, et al. Role of preexisting disease in patients’ perceptions of health-related quality of life after intensive care. Crit Care Med. 2005;33(7):1557-64.) Regarding workers, a recent systematic review with meta-analysis (52 studies with 10,015 patients)(1414 Kamdar BB, Suri R, Suchyta MR, Digrande KF, Sherwood KD, Colantuoni E, et al. Return to work after critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax. 2020;75(1):17-27.) showed that only 36% (23% - 49%) of survivors were able to return to work within 3 months of ICU discharge.

A negative impact in the ability to work was evident in patients discharged from the ICU.(88 Griffiths J, Hatch RA, Bishop J, Morgan K, Jenkinson C, Cuthbertson BH, et al. An exploration of social and economic outcome and associated health-related quality of life after critical illness in general intensive care unit survivors: a 12-month follow-up study. Crit Care. 2013;17(3):R100.

9 Norman BC, Jackson JC, Graves JA, Girard TD, Pandharipande PP, Brummel NE, et al. Employment outcomes after critical illness: an analysis of the bringing to light the risk factors and incidence of neuropsychological dysfunction in ICU survivors cohort. Crit Care Med. 2016;44(11):2003-9.

10 Myhren H, Ekeberg Ø, Stokland O. Health-related quality of life and return to work after critical illness in general intensive care unit patients: a 1-year follow-up study. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(7):1554-61.
-1111 Kamdar BB, Huang M, Dinglas VD, Colantuoni E, von Wachter TM, Hopkins RO, Needham DM; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network. Joblessness and lost earnings after acute respiratory distress syndrome in a 1-year national multicenter study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017;196(8):1012-20.,1515 Eddleston JM, White P, Guthrie E. Survival, morbidity, and quality of life after discharge from intensive care. Crit Care Med. 2000;28(7):2293-9.,1717 Herridge MS, Tansey CM, Matté A, Tomlinson G, Diaz-Granados N, Cooper A, Guest CB, Mazer CD, Mehta S, Stewart TE, Kudlow P, Cook D, Slutsky AS, Cheung AM; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. Functional disability 5 years after acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(14):1293-304.

18 Davydow DS, Zatzick DF, Rivara FP, Jurkovich GJ, Wang J, Roy-Byrne PP, et al. Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and return to usual major activity in traumatically injured intensive care unit survivors. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2009;31(5):428-35.

19 Zatzick D, Jurkovich GJ, Rivara FP, Wang J, Fan MY, Joesch J, et al. A national US study of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and work and functional outcomes after hospitalization for traumatic injury. Ann Surg. 2008;248(3):429-37.

20 Quasim T, Brown J, Kinsella J. Employment, social dependency and return to work after intensive care. J Intensive Care Soc. 2015;16(1):31-6.

21 Ringdal M, Plos K, Örtenwall P, Bergbom I. Memories and health-related quality of life after intensive care: a follow-up study. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(1):38-44.

22 Zatzick DF, Rivara FP, Nathens AB, Jurkovich GJ, Wang J, Fan MY, et al. A nationwide US study of post-traumatic stress after hospitalization for physical injury. Psychol Med. 2007;37(10):1469-80.

23 Adhikari NK, McAndrews MP, Tansey CM, Matté A, Pinto R, Cheung AM, et al. Self-reported symptoms of depression and memory dysfunction in survivors of ARDS. Chest. 2009;135(3):678-87.
-2424 Rothenhäusler HB, Ehrentraut S, Stoll C, Schelling G, Kapfhammer HP. The relationship between cognitive performance and employment and health status in long-term survivors of the acute respiratory distress syndrome: results of an exploratory study. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2001;23(2):90-6.) Individuals who remain in the labor market may experience difficulties such as underemployment, the need to reduce working hours, transition to a part-time job or to a less important position, or even obtain sick leave.(2222 Zatzick DF, Rivara FP, Nathens AB, Jurkovich GJ, Wang J, Fan MY, et al. A nationwide US study of post-traumatic stress after hospitalization for physical injury. Psychol Med. 2007;37(10):1469-80.) In addition, many patients receive a disability pension in the first months after discharge from the ICU.(2222 Zatzick DF, Rivara FP, Nathens AB, Jurkovich GJ, Wang J, Fan MY, et al. A nationwide US study of post-traumatic stress after hospitalization for physical injury. Psychol Med. 2007;37(10):1469-80.) The data evidenced in this article identified that health problems were the reason for absence from work in more than 90% of the cases, a fact that may have led to a high rate of disability retirement in the following months, complying with the current norms of Brazilian legislation.

Regarding the evaluation of risk factors for nonreturn to work, robust studies have identified the following related causes:(1414 Kamdar BB, Suri R, Suchyta MR, Digrande KF, Sherwood KD, Colantuoni E, et al. Return to work after critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax. 2020;75(1):17-27.) low level of education, presence of comorbidities and loss of mental health after discharge, as well as hospital discharge to care clinics, indicating a higher degree of functional dependence. The severity of critical illness seems to lose importance when compared to prehospital admission factors with the exception of the need for invasive ventilatory support. Riddersholm et al.(3232 Riddersholm S, Christensen S, Kragholm K, Christiansen CF, Rasmussen BS. Organ support therapy in the intensive care unit and return to work: a nationwide, register-based cohort study. Intensive Care Med. 2018;44(4):418-27.) had previously associated the need for ventilatory support (hazard ratio 0.70; 95%CI 0.65 - 0.77) with a lower chance of returning to work. In the present study, a similar relationship was found (PR 1.20; 95%CI 1.01 - 1.42). This finding may be related to the fact that prolonged dependence on mechanical ventilation appears only as a surrogate indicator of muscle weakness, and its importance in the prediction is veiled by the presence of muscle weakness and functional dependence after ICU discharge.(44 Desai SV, Law TJ, Needham DM. Long-term complications of critical care. Crit Care Med. 2011;39(2):371-9.,3333 Dinglas VD, Aronson Friedman L, Colantuoni E, Mendez-Tellez PA, Shanholtz CB, Ciesla ND, et al. Muscle weakness and 5-year survival in acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors. Crit Care Med. 2017;45(3):446-53.,3434 Hodgson CL, Udy AA, Bailey M, Barrett J, Bellomo R, Bucknall T, et al. The impact of disability in survivors of critical illness. Intensive Care Med. 2017;43(7):992-1001.)

Several studies have also suggested an association between job loss and the presence of psychiatric symptoms.(1010 Myhren H, Ekeberg Ø, Stokland O. Health-related quality of life and return to work after critical illness in general intensive care unit patients: a 1-year follow-up study. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(7):1554-61.,1717 Herridge MS, Tansey CM, Matté A, Tomlinson G, Diaz-Granados N, Cooper A, Guest CB, Mazer CD, Mehta S, Stewart TE, Kudlow P, Cook D, Slutsky AS, Cheung AM; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. Functional disability 5 years after acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(14):1293-304.,2020 Quasim T, Brown J, Kinsella J. Employment, social dependency and return to work after intensive care. J Intensive Care Soc. 2015;16(1):31-6.,2222 Zatzick DF, Rivara FP, Nathens AB, Jurkovich GJ, Wang J, Fan MY, et al. A nationwide US study of post-traumatic stress after hospitalization for physical injury. Psychol Med. 2007;37(10):1469-80.,2323 Adhikari NK, McAndrews MP, Tansey CM, Matté A, Pinto R, Cheung AM, et al. Self-reported symptoms of depression and memory dysfunction in survivors of ARDS. Chest. 2009;135(3):678-87.,3535 Adhikari NK, Tansey CM, McAndrews MP, Matté A, Pinto R, Cheung AM, et al. Self-reported depressive symptoms and memory complaints in survivors five years after ARDS. Chest. 2011;140(6):1484-93.,3636 Hurel D, Loirat P, Saulnier F, Nicolas F, Brivet F. Quality of life 6 months after intensive care: results of a prospective multicenter study using a generic health status scale and a satisfaction scale. Intensive Care Med. 1997;23(3):331-7.) In the present study, this correlation was not found; however, it seems plausible that it may occur. It is noteworthy that these data were collected only at the time of discharge from the ICU and not in the third month after discharge. In addition, there was a greater return to work for patients who were self-employed before hospitalization, which is a curious finding not reported in previous studies. The reason for this difference is uncertain and may be related to the type of work (for example, manual versus intellectual), socioeconomic status, quality of care during hospitalization and/or access to post-ICU rehabilitation services.

The strength of this study includes a multicenter design, including the five regions of the country, as well as public and private hospitals. This is also the first Brazilian study designed to evaluate return to work after the ICU, with a robust sample size. However, the study has some limitations. First, the family income data were reported by the patient, which may be influenced by external factors (economic crisis in the country or inflation) and internal factors (embarrassment in sharing these data and fear of losing possible financial benefits from government agencies). Additionally, because this was an observational cohort study, causality between factors related to severe acute illness and nonreturn to work could not be defined.

CONCLUSION

More than half of critically ill patients are unable to return to work in the first 3 months after discharge from the intensive care unit. This risk is related to pre-intensive care unit factors (low educational level and having a formal job), the severity of the acute disease (need for ventilatory support) and physical limitations after discharge. These findings support the importance of rehabilitation in order to minimize sequelae after severe acute illness and facilitate the return to work.

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Edited by

Responsible editor: Jorge Ibraim Figueira Salluh

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    03 Mar 2023
  • Date of issue
    Oct-Dec 2022

History

  • Received
    12 May 2022
  • Accepted
    27 Sept 2022
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