COVID brought words like “ICU” and “ventilator” into mainstream conversations. With or without the pandemic, though, the average person in the US will have more than one ICU stay in their lifetime – over 6 million per year in the US alone.
COVID and non-COVID ICU survivors suffer from Post-Intensive Care Syndrome or PICS, including new disabling dementia, PTSD, depression, and weakness.
PICS is a disabling reality for millions of patients and their families trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. It costs society billions of dollars.
In addition, over 100 million Long COVID patients across the world who were never even admitted to the hospital are disabled in ways that shatter their quality of life and prevent them from earning a living.
Over the last 25 years through the conduct of research, education and implementation of evidenced-based interventions, our Vanderbilt and Veteran’s Administration Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship (CIBS) Center has made great strides in improving patients’ survival, but there’s a long road ahead.
Give today to become part of the solution for patients and families across the Unites States and globally.
