Patient diaries on ICU

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First - sorry for my english ... but I am from Germany (working in Switzerland), and I always try to improve my english ...

A lot of patients, surviving the ICU, are suffering from PTSD-related symptoms like sleep-disturbances, flashbacks, depression and so on. Studies showed that up to 63% of all patients are affected, and one study asked for PTSD-Symptoms in relatives, and they found that 50% of them are affected.

One possible help can be a diary, kept for the patient by the nurses, relatives and other visitors.

Have you ever heared about keeping diaries ???

Greetings

Dirk

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.

I like this idea. Some families do that through websites like caring bridge or by blogging. The family member chronicles the journey and uses the website as a way to get the word out to relatives without having to constantly repeat themselves. I always thought it would be cool for patients to read after the fact...if they survive.

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Thank you for your comment !

I have talked to many patients, and very often I heared horrible stories about nightmares, or unreal dreams. Very often, they can`t remember, what is dream, and what is reality.

We are writing in the diary, what happens during the day, what we observe in the patients room, like the first time, he is breathing without the vent, or sitting outside the bed.

It is an very good and interesting experience for us nurses ...

Greetings

Dirk

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