An A-E assessment of post-ICU COVID-19 recovery

Cadd, Matthew; Nunn, Maya

The COVID-19 global pandemic has placed unprecedented strain on healthcare and critical care services around the world. Whilst most resources have focused on the acute phase of the disease, there is likely to be an untold burden of patients chronically affected. A wide range of sequelae contribute to post intensive care syndrome (PICS); from our current knowledge of COVID-19, a few of these have the potential to be more prevalent following critical care admission. Follow-up assessment, diagnosis and treatment in an increasingly virtual setting will provide challenges but also opportunities to develop these services. Here, we propose an A to E approach to consider the potential long-term effects of COVID-19 following critical care admission. Anxiety and other mental health diagnoses Breathlessness Central nervous system impairment Dietary insufficiency and malnutrition Embolic events Developing strategies to mitigate these during admission and providing follow-up, assessment and treatment of persistent multiple organ dysfunction will be essential to improve morbidity, mortality and patient quality of life.