Risk factors of long-term brain health outcomes after hospitalization for critical illness

Background Brain health may be impaired years after hospitalization for critical illness, and similar impairments occur after hospitalization for COVID-19. However, it remains unclear which patients are most likely to experience long-term brain health consequences and whether these adverse events differ between non-COVID critical illness and COVID-19. Methods In a prospective observational study, we enrolled patients hospitalized for (1) non-COVID critical illness (pneumonia, myocardial infarction, or ICU-requiring conditions) or for (2) COVID-19, from March 2020 to June 2021. Brain health was assessed at 18-month follow-up with cognitive, psychiatric, and neurological tests. We used both logistic regression and prediction models to test for associations between different variables and brain health. Results We included 245 patients: 125 hospitalized for non-COVID critical illness and 120 for COVID-19 [mean age 61.2 (± 13.6) years, 42% women]. Brain health was impaired in 76% of patients (72% critical illness, 81% COVID-19; p = 0.14) at 18-month follow-up. The strongest predictive factors associated with impaired brain health were education