Persistent pain could be a common health problem after critical illness care. Our data also suggest that there is a lack of specific follow-up after ICU discharge.

Given the major consequences on patient quality of life, the social implications and health-care costs, it appears to be important to design innovative interventions to minimize the consequences of pain after critical care illness.

In our prospective multicentric cohort, we found that almost half of the patients experienced significant pain 3 months after admission in an ICU. Among them, roughly 8% presented symptoms compatible with neuropathic pain and 11% had specialized follow-up.

Pain symptoms have been little described after critical care admission.

In a review, Kemp et al. noted that in the year following admission in an ICU, the prevalence of pain symptoms ranged from 14 to 77%.

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