Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Professor Mona Ringdal, University of Gothenburg
- Second opponent: Professor Reidar Kvåle, University of Bergen
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor Emeritus Knut Tjøl Gjesdal, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Professor II Theis Tønnesen, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Intensive Care Nurse Kirsti Tøien, Division of Emergencies and Critical Care, Oslo University Hospital
Summary
The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a nurse-led intervention with three consultations for patients after discharge from an intensive care unit (ICU) in a pragmatic non-blinded randomized controlled trial. We aimed to reduce posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and increase sense of coherence (SOC) after ICU discharge. Other aims were to evaluate PTS symptoms, SOC and pain after ICU discharge on the hospital ward, and three, six and 12 months after ICU disharge.
Initially 523 patients were screened for PTS symptoms, and those with moderate to high level of PTS symptoms (n=244) were randomized to the intervention group (n=111) or a control group (n=113) receiving standard care. The nurse-led consultations compared with standard care did not reveal any significant effect on PTS symptoms or SOC after ICU discharge. There was a significantly reduced level of PTS symptoms for all patients during the year, and low SOC, pain and previous psychiatric problems were associated with increased level of PTS symptoms at 12 months.
Of the total sample, 68% reported pain median four days after ICU discharge. In the follow-up period, 56%, 50% and 51% still reported pain at three, six and 12 months, respectively. However, worst pain intensity and pain interference declined during the year.
Additional information
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