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. 1994 Jul-Aug;23(4):323-7.

Distressful events in the ICU as perceived by patients recovering from coronary artery bypass surgery

B E Pennock  1 , L Crawshaw, T Maher, T Price, P D Kaplan
Affiliations
  • PMID: 7960858

Distressful events in the ICU as perceived by patients recovering from coronary artery bypass surgery

B E Pennock et al. Heart Lung. 1994 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To determine what events are perceived as most stressful to patients in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU).

Design: Descriptive cross-sectional survey.

Patients: One hundred twenty-seven patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) at 48 hours after their transfer from the SICU.

Outcome measure: Stressful events as perceived by patients while in the SICU determined by 25 specific items on a questionnaire rated on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (no distress) to 4 (extremely distressful).

Results: Two stressors, being intubated and not being able to talk, were significantly more stressful, by Newman-Keuls multiple range test, than all the other stressors. The mean stressfulness score for all other stressors was between no distress and mild distress.

Conclusion: Overall stress associated with specific events during a short stay in the SICU was minimal. Intubation and inability to communicate were the most stressful experiences.

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