Beschreibung:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>
<jats:p>The main aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with a delayed-onset posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the intensive care unit (ICU) treatment of patients with a chronic critical illness (CCI). Patients (<jats:italic toggle="yes">n</jats:italic> = 97) with critical illness polyneuropathy or critical illness myopathy were interviewed via the Structured Clinical Interview for <jats:italic toggle="yes">Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition</jats:italic>. The diagnosis of the acute stress disorder was assessed within 1 month (t1), the diagnosis of PTSD at 3 (t2) and 6 (t3) months after transfer from the acute care ICU to the post-acute ICU. Patients showing a delayed-onset or persistent course of PTSD were subsumed in one group; 24.7% (<jats:italic toggle="yes">n</jats:italic> = 24) showed a delayed-onset PTSD. Significant risk factors were as follows: the severity of the medical illness, the perceived fear of dying at the ICU, the number of traumatic memories from the ICU, and the presence of a coronary heart disease. Every fourth patient with CCI showed a delayed-onset PTSD up to 6 months after the ICU treatment. Markers for a delayed-onset PTSD should already be assessed at the time of discharge from the ICU.</jats:p>