To: Biomarkers of neuropsychiatric dysfunction in intensive care unit survivors: a prospective cohort study - Critical Care Science (CCS)

To: Biomarkers of neuropsychiatric dysfunction in intensive care unit survivors: a prospective cohort study | To the Editor We read with interest the article by Rocha et al. on a long-term, prospective cohort study of the neuropsychiatric outcomes of 65 intensive care unit (ICU) survivors assessed using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6), and several wet inflammatory biomarkers.⁽⁾ Delirium and elevated interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-6 were found to predict long-term cognitive impairment, IL-6 was associated with depression, and mechanical ventilation, IL-33, and C-reactive protein were associated with anxiety.⁽⁾ It was concluded that cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder may be complications of the ICU stay and that these outcomes may be associated with inflammatory markers.⁽⁾ The study is impressive, but some points require discussion. [...]