• M Badia Castelló, J Trujillano Cabello, L Serviá Goixart, J March Llanes, and A Rodríguez-Pozo.
• Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Arnau de Vilanova, Lleida, España. marionabadia@wanadoo.es
• Med Intensiva. 2008 Jun 1; 32 (5): 203-15.

ObjectiveAssessment of health related quality of life (HRQOL) before and 12 months after discharge from a mixed intensive care unit (ICU) according to diagnostic category and the relationship between both instruments.DesignProspective observational study.SettingThe combined medical/surgical ICU in a secondary university hospital with 450 beds.PatientsPatients admitted to the ICU over an 18-month period.Main VariablesVariables on demography, diagnosis on admission, severity of acute illness score (APACHE II), length of stay, procedures, mortality and the HRQOL were collected using the Short Form SF-36 and EQ-5D questionnaires. Health status prior to admission was evaluated retrospectively.ResultsBoth questionnaires were answered by 189 patients. A significant deterioration in the quality of life was observed 12 months after ICU discharge. Head injury and neurological patients had worse HRQOL one year after discharge. Multiple trauma patients presented severe physical limitations and pain, but without significant differences on the emotional level. The EQ Visual Analogue Scale and the EQ Index score showed clinically relevant differences in these three groups. Respiratory patients are the only group in whom the HRQOL improved. Comparison between both measurement instruments showed a strong correlation on the physical functioning level, but a weaker correlation on the emotional functioning one.ConclusionsHRQOL assessment of ICU patients must be done according to a diagnostic category. Both instruments (the EQ-5D and SF-36) are capable of detecting changes in HRQOL. Despite differences in structure and content, both measure similar aspects of quality of life.

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