Résumé
Background: Dyspnea is a traumatic experience. Only limited information is available on dyspnea in intubated critically ill patients. Our objectives were 1) To quantify the prevalence and severity of dyspnea, 2) To evaluate the impact of dyspnea on intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 90 days after ICU discharge.Methods: Prospective cohort study in 10 ICUs in France. In patients intubated for more than 24 hours, dyspnea was quantified with a visual analog scale (from zero to 10) as soon as they were able to communicate, the following day and prior spontaneous breathing trials. PTSD was defined by an Impact of Event Scale-Revised score ≥ 22.Results: Among the 612 patients assessed, 34% reported dyspnea, with a median dyspnea rating of 5 (interquartile range, 4-7). ICU length of stay was not significantly different between dyspneic and non-dyspneic patients (6 [3-12] and 6 [3-13] days, respectively; P=0.781). Mortality was not different between groups. Of the 153 patients interviewed on day 90, a higher proportion of individuals with probable PTSD was observed among patients who were dyspneic on enrolment (29% vs. 13%, P=0.017). The density of dyspnea (number of dyspneic episodes divided by time from enrolment to extubation) were independently associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (odds ratio: 1.07, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.13, P=0.031).Conclusion: Dyspnea was frequent and intense in intubated critically ill patients. ICU length of stay was not significantly different among patients reporting dyspnea, but PTSD was more frequent at day 90.