This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

No abstract

Introduction: Admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) constitutes a substantial psychophysical burden for patients and their relatives. Individuals who are critically ill and receive care in the ICU frequently exhibit numerous physical and mental issues stemming from the primary ailment, its complications, and subsequent treatments. This study aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) for ICU patients in the first and third month after ICU discharge and identify any issues arising from their ICU hospitalization. Material and methods: This was a prospective cohort study. The study participants were adult medical or surgical patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in three public hospitals in Attica in, Greece, from August 2020 to December 2021. The short form (SF)-36 was used to measure QoL. Data collection was performed through telephone interviews during the first and third month after ICU discharge. Results: The study included 43 patients, 34 men and nine women. The mean age was 59.63 years. The average value of the two main categories in the 1st month was: Physical health: at 53.72 and Mental health: at 69.03, while in the 3rd month, it was 62.42 and 72.81, respectively. The duration of mechanical ventilation, high-flow oxygen therapy, and spontaneous breathing in days seemed to be correlated with the Physical Functioning, Pain, and Limitation of the role due to Physical health subscales of SF-36, respectively (p-value <0.05). The total length of hospitalization seemed to have a statistically significant negative correlation with Physical Function and Physical Health subscales (p-value<0.05). Conclusions: An improvement in the QoL of patients was demonstrated three months after discharge from the ICU. Factors such as gender, cause of ICU admission, occurrence or non-occurrence of cardiac arrest, the performance of a tracheostomy, and type of ventilation support should always be considered when assessing the quality of life after ICU hospitalization.