Category: Critical care medicine

Studies show that a significant majority of patients admitted to the ICU survive to be discharged from the hospital. However, asking "Do people come back from the ICU?" requires a deeper look beyond initial survival, as many face a long and challenging recovery with lingering physical, cognitive, and mental health issues.

After a severe injury or infection, a patient may develop secondary shock, a delayed and more severe stage of hypoperfusion. Understanding what is the pathology of secondary shock is critical for distinguishing it from immediate primary shock and identifying the complex, progressive cellular and systemic damage that follows.