Earplugs could be an effective sleep hygiene strategy to reduce delirium in the ICU

Commentary on: Litton E, Carnegie V, Elliott R, et al.. The efficacy of earplugs as a sleep hygiene strategy for reducing delirium in the ICU: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Crit Care Med 2016;44:992–9. Implications for practice and research Simple sleep hygiene strategies, such as earplugs, can be implemented at the bedside in the intensive care unit (ICU), can reduce the risk of delirium and increase patients' total sleep time. Future research should be conducted to delineate the actual reduction in length of stay (LOS), delirium, mortality and costs associated with these strategies. Context Delirium is a serious adverse event affecting 20–80% of admitted patients.1 There is much research being done in attempts to decrease the impact of delirium throughout the hospital system.2 This systematic review highlights the simple intervention of earplugs as one potential method of reducing the...
Source: Evidence-Based Nursing - Category: Nursing Authors: Tags: Other rehabilitative therapies, Nursing issues, Delirium, Memory disorders (psychiatry), Sleep disorders, Sleep disorders (respiratory medicine), Internet, Medical error/ patient safety, Medical humanities Source Type: research