• Shiri Zarour, Esther Dahan, Dana Karol, Or Hanoch, Barak Cohen, and Idit Matot.
• Division of Anesthesia, Intensive Care, and Pain Management, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
• Isr Med Assoc J. 2024 Mar 1; 26 (3): 186190186-190.

BackgroundSurvivors of critical illness are at increased risk of long-term impairments, referred to as post-intensive care unit (ICU) syndrome (PICS). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among ICU survivors with reported rates of up to 27%. The prevalence of PTSD among Israeli ICU survivors has not been reported to date.ObjectivesTo evaluate the prevalence of new onset PTSD diagnosed in a post-ICU clinic at a tertiary center in Israel.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective, single center, cohort study. Data were collected from medical records of all patients who visited the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center post-ICU clinic between October 2017 and June 2020. New onset PTSD was defined as PTSD diagnosed by a certified board psychiatrist during the post-ICU clinic visit. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsOverall, 39 patients (mean age 51 ± 17 years, 15/39 females [38%]) attended the post-ICU clinic during the study period. They were evaluated 82 ± 57 days after hospital discharge. After excluding 7 patients due to missing proper psychiatric analysis, 32 patients remained eligible for the primary analysis. New PTSD was diagnosed in one patient (3%).ConclusionsWe found lower incidence of PTSD in our cohort when compared to existing literature. Possible explanations include different diagnostic tools and low risk factors rate. Unique national, cultural, and/or religious perspectives might have contributed to the observed low PTSD rate. Further research in larger study populations is required to establish the prevalence of PTSD among Israeli ICU survivors.

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