PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF SEDATIVE ON CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS

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This study aimed to assess the psychological effects experienced by patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Following ethical approval, the study was conducted as a cross-sectional survey at Bahria International Hospital ICU between January 2022 and December 2022. The inclusion criteria required patients to be over 18 years of age, have stayed in the ICU for at least 24 hours, be aware during the assessment, and provide informed consent for research participation. Patients who failed to complete the assessment or were transferred out of the ICU were excluded from the study. The data was analyzed using a non-probability sampling technique and the SPSS-24 version. A chi-square value of less than 0.5 was considered significant. The data from a total of 161 patients was evaluated. Of these, 72 patients (44%) were diagnosed with depression, while 89 patients (55.2%) had medical cases. Males outnumbered females, with 94 (58%) male patients and 67 (42%) female patients. 26 patients (17%) had a hospital stay of over 2 weeks, compared to 135 (83%) who were discharged within 2 weeks. One hundred fifty-one patients (93%) did not show signs of anxiety, while 10 (6%) tested positive. Nine patients tested positive for amnesia, while 152 did not. One hundred fifty-five patients (96%) reported no hallucinations, while 6 patients (4%) believed they had experienced hallucinations. Seventy-four patients (46%) tested negative for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while 87 patients (54%) claimed to experience PTSD. Of the ICU admissions, 89 (55%) were due to medical cases, while 27 (16.7%) were surgical. The study highlights the need for implementing a bedside screening instrument and physician approval to improve the identification and early detection of psychological effects in critically ill ICU patients. The first step towards preventing and developing a future ICU free from psychological effects is identifying the incidence and risk factors associated with such impacts. The complex psychosocial impacts experienced by critically ill ICU patients require more attention and research.