Health-related quality of life of trauma patients after intensive care: a 2-year follow-up study

This study aimed to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in trauma patients 2 years after discharge from an intensive care unit (ICU) in Zunyi, China, and to investigate the possible determinants of HRQOL.

A total of 436 trauma patients treated in the ICU were followed up for 2 years. The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) was used to measure the quality of life 1 and 2 years after their discharge.

After a 2-year follow-up, there were, in total, 347 (79.6%) survivors. From 1 to 2 years after discharge, the HRQOL improved in one physical health domain and three mental health domains. Logistic regression showed that female patients had lower mental component summary (MCS) scores (odds ratio [OR] = 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–3.0). Patients older than 40 years had lower scores in the physical component summary (PCS) (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1–2.7). Patients who stayed in the ICU for longer than 7 days had lower PCS scores (OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.0–2.5). The association between head injury and low MCS scores was statistically significant (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1–2.9). Patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 24 had lower scores in the PCS (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2–3.1).

The HRQOL of a group of Chinese trauma patients after ICU treatment improved from 1 to 2 years after discharge. Age, sex, length of ICU stay, ISS, and existence of head injury were associated with physical or mental HRQOL after discharge. Further studies with more measurements and larger sample sizes are still warranted.