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Evidence is growing that an episode of critical illness which requires admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) affects longer term health outcomes. More advanced age, chronic disease, and severity of the critical illness all influence long term outcomes, and the challenge is to identify modifiable factors and to design interventions that improve these outcomes. Identifying who is at risk of poorer long-term outcomes would facilitate better targeting of surveillance and intervention after discharge from the ICU.

Indigenous Australians have generally poorer health outcomes than non‐Indigenous Australians, their median age at presentation with critical illness is lower, and have a greater burden of chronic disease, but their ICU and hospital outcomes are similar to those of non‐Indigenous Australians. However, longer term outcomes after ICU care have not previously been investigated in detail.

This MJA perspective shares more.

Details

• Explain key components of the perspective.
• List main findings.
• Recognise the impact on the intensive care unit in ensuring the long-term health of critically ill Indigenous people.

Author: Dianne P Stephens

Article Type: Perspective