Hermans G, Van Aerde N, Meersseman P, et al. - Researchers determined the impact of short (< 8 days) and prolonged (≥ 8 days) intensive care unit (ICU) stay on mortality and morbidity among former EPaNIC-trial patients studied in this preplanned prospective cohort, 5-year follow-up study. They found that long-stayers vs short-stayers had higher total and post-28-day 5-year mortality, after matching. Hypoglycaemia, use of corticosteroids, neuromuscular blocking agents, benzodiazepines, mechanical ventilation, new dialysis and the occurrence of new infection were all identified as ICU risk factors, whereas clonidine could be protective. Overall, excess 5-year mortality and morbidity were reported in correlation with a longer duration of intensive care; these effects were partially explained by potentially modifiable ICU factors.