Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have identified "Post Intensive Care Syndrome" (PICS), a constellation of symptoms that mimic PTSD in patients who have survived the ICU. The condition is often triggered by powerful sedatives, prolonged ventilator use, and delirium experienced during hospitalization. Survivors report personality changes, depression, and cognitive impairment, suggesting that the "heroic efforts" to save lives in the ICU can have lasting negative effects.
