Incidence and Associated Factors for Chronic Pain After
ICU
Discharge: A Prospective Study
Jinyu Yin, Tianhao Yu, Ruirui Shen, Xiangping Chen, Yinghua Qian, Yuewen Lao, Xiaoyan Gong ABSTRACT
Background
Survivors of critical illness are at high risk for developing chronic pain. However, evidence regarding new‐onset chronic pain in this specific population remains limited in China.
Aims
This study aimed to investigate the incidence of chronic pain among Chinese intensive care unit (ICU) survivors at 3 months after discharge and to identify associated factors.
Study Design
This was a prospective study. The participants were adult ICU survivors from a mixed ICU of a tertiary hospital in Zhejiang, China. The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) was used to assess pain at 3 months after ICU discharge. Multivariable binary logistic regression was performed to identify factors independently associated with chronic pain.
Results
Among 328 ICU survivors, 109 (33.2%) reported new‐onset chronic pain, including 64 of 109 (58.7%) with mild pain (BPI average pain score 1–3), 42 of 109 (38.5%) with moderate pain (BPI average pain score 4–6) and 3 of 109 (2.8%) with severe pain (BPI average pain score 7–10). The shoulder was the most frequently reported pain site (46 of 109, 42.2%), and normal work was the daily domain most affected by pain. Multivariable analysis showed that pre‐existing chronic pain (OR = 4.77, 95% CI: 2.02–11.30, p < 0.001), days with mechanical ventilation (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.17–1.37, p < 0.001), and days with hyperinflammation (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.18–1.53, p < 0.001) were independently associated with the development of new‐onset chronic pain. Among 286 patients without pre‐existing chronic pain, 79 (27.6%) developed new‐onset chronic pain; mechanical ventilation duration and hyperinflammation remained independently associated with this outcome.
Conclusions
Approximately one‐third of ICU survivors experience chronic pain, with 41.3% reporting moderate‐to‐severe pain that interfered with daily functioning. These findings highlight the importance of systematic pain assessment and targeted follow‐up after ICU discharge.
Relevance to Clinical Practice
Post‐ICU follow‐up should include systematic assessment of chronic pain and pain‐related functional impairment alongside other PICS domains, including psychological distress, cognitive dysfunction and physical impairments, to ensure holistic, patient‐centred recovery after critical illness.