Abstract: We are about to implement a nurse-based critical care follow-up service and used a follow-up study of tracheostomy to determine the feasibility of such a service. Nine to 27 months median 14 after intensive care admission we attempted to follow-up 116 of our most severely ill survivors. Twenty six could not be found, 11 declined follow-up. A questionnaire, interview and limited examination were used to determine health status. Ten patients unable to come to a clinic were seen at home. Interview time varied between patients but 79 patients took 100 nurse-hours. Ninety percent of patients co-operated with respiratory function testing. Pulse oximetry identified one with severe chronic respiratory failure. In this highly selected group of patients with on going problems (perceived poor health, dependency, disability, changes in appearance, deterioration in personal relationships, poor sleep, pain, altered diet, unaddressed chronic health problems, poor access to health services, and continuing prescription medication) were common, and addressed to some extent by appropriate referral. Approximately 20% of patients reported improvement in their health and personal relationships after critical illness and half of the smokers had given up. Factors contributing to follow-up difficulty included distance, delay in initial contact, change of address (255 of this group), disability and poverty. A nurse-run critical care follow-up clinic is feasible, time consuming but productive. A register of current addresses and phone numbers is recommended. The optimal time for follow-up will vary with patients conditions but early follow-up with protocol- based lines of referral is recommended to reduce persistent health problems

Abstract: In 1995 we conducted a retrospective audit on a prospectively collated database to find out which intensive care patients missed out on psychiatric care after self poisoning. Our results showed that 57 patients in 1995 may not have received psychiatric follow-up assessment. Department of Critical Care Medicine (DCCM) follow-up was also less successful for this particular group. It was recommended that on admission to intensive care, all self poisoning patients would be referred to the Liaison Psychiatry Service (LPS).In 1996 we reviewed the databases of DCCM and LPS to determine if the quality of psychiatric follow-up had improved after the initial 1995 audit. In 1996 124 patients had 149 admissions (85F, age range 14.6-85.3, median 35, median GCS 9, 99 ventilated, 3 deaths). Thirteen patients had 25 admissions within 6 months of their index admission , 7/13 had a major psychiatric disorder. Mixed poisoning remained common. Forty-five admissions took cyclic antidepressants, 21 sedatives, 52 other medications, 25 ethanol (median 43 mmol/l ), 30 carbon monoxide and 5 took various non-prescription poisons.Thirteen went home, 32 to other hospitals, 4 to psychiatric hospitals and 97 were transferred to wards within Auckland Hospital. Psychiatric follow-up assessment was successful in 96/97 patients prior to discharge from Auckland Hospital. Those discharged to other hospitals or home were referred and followed up by LPS teams or other Mental Health Services.DCCM follow-up 4-6 weeks post discharge was more successful for 1996 with 120/146 contacted of which 33/120 were receiving ongoing psychiatric care.