Evaluation of stressors in intensive care units

Abstract

Objective: Physical and psychological stressors that adversely affect treatment process and length of stay patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The purpose of this study was to describe environmental and psychological stressor factors affecting ICU patients and to determine their priorities.

Material and Methods: In this study, the 40-item Intensive Care Unit Environmental Stressor Scale was administered to the patients in the General Surgery Intensive Care Unit (GSICU) and the Anesthesiology and Reanimation Intensive Care Unit (ARICU). The age, gender, marital status, educational status, the cause of hospitalization and ICU length of stay were questioned and were recorded.The Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score was determined for ICU patients.

Results: A total of 98 patients, 80 patients in the GSICU and 18 patients in the ARICU were included in the study between May 1st, 2015 and October 31st, 2015. 56 of patients were male (57.1%) and 42 of them were female (42.9%). The mean age of the patients was 55.1±15.1 years. The mean ICU length of stay was 3.4±1.6 days. The median APACHE II score of the patients was 6 (0-17). The patients were most affected by being thirsty (mean 2.44). The second stress factor was having tubes in the mouth and nose (mean 2.25). The least stressful factor for the patients was having nurses constantly doing things around the bed. Although 51% of the patients were postoperative, the pain was ranked 5th among the stress factors.

Conclusion: The environmental and psychological factors affecting ICU patients varied according to age, sex, educational and operational status. These factors had an adverse effect on the patients. The elimination or modification of these factors would contribute positively to the treatment of ICU patients and ICU length of stay.

This study was presented at the 13th Congress of the Turkish Society of Medical and Surgical Intensive Care Medicine, 2-5 November 2016, İzmir, Turkey.
Cite this paper as: Gültekin Y, Özçelik Z, Akıncı SB, Yorgancı HK. A Evaluation of stressors in intensive care units. Turk J Surg 2018; 34: 5-8.

Ethics committee approval was received for this study from the ethics committee of Hacettepe University School of Medicine Non-interventional Clinical Research Ethics Board.

Written informed consent was obtained from patient who participated in this study.

Externally peer-reviewed.

Concept - Y.G., Z.Ö., S.B.A., H.K.Y.; Tasarım Design - Y.G., Z.Ö., S.B.A.; Supervision - Y.G., Z.Ö., H.K.Y.; Resource - Y.G., Z.Ö.; Materials - Y.G., Z.Ö.; Data Collection and/or Processing - Y.G., Z.Ö.; Analysis and/or Interpretation - Y.G., S.B.A., H.K.Y.; Literature Search - Y.G., Z.Ö.; Writing Manuscript - Y.G., Z.Ö.; Critical Reviews - S.B.A., H.K.Y.

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.