The relationship between ICU survivorship, comorbidity and educational level in quality of life after intensive care.

Lower QoL seen in ICU survivors compared to non-ICU-treated controls, as measured by our provisional questionnaire, cannot be explained only by a higher burden of comorbidity, and rarely by only educational level. In issues where comorbidity or educational level was associated to QoL, it often was so in parallel to an association from belonging to the ICU survivor group. Comparing QoL in ICU survivors to that of a non-ICU-treated population may be adequate despite differences in baseline characteristics.