Current strategies and future directions to enhance recovery following critical illness

Abstract

Improvements in critical care treatments have led to an increased number of survivors of critical illness and an enhanced recognition of the problems which these patients encounter. Despite this, the ideal strategies to both prevent and manage the problems which people face are yet to be fully elucidated. This review explores the current methods employed to help mitigate problems encountered by survivors of critical illnesses and current barriers that limit their implementation. We will explore the effect of these issues on under-represented communities and the feasibility of delivering these strategies globally, as well as recent advances in mechanistic research and methodological innovation as promising areas for further work. In doing so, it summarises the potential avenues for future research with a view to advancing clinical care and outcomes in survivors of critical illness.