Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Noise Pollution With the Use of a Pediatric Delirium Bundle

Sources of Sound Exposure in Pediatric Critical Care

BACKGROUND

Sound levels in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are often above recommended levels, but few researchers have identified the sound sources contributing to high levels.

OBJECTIVES

To identify sources of PICU sound exposure.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of continuous bedside video and dosimeter data (n = 220.7 hours). A reliable coding scheme developed to identify sound sources in the adult ICU was modified for pediatrics. Proportions of sound sources were compared between times of high (≥45 dB) and low (<45 dB) sound, during day (7 AM to 6:59 PM) and night (7 PM to 6:59 AM) shifts, and during sound peaks (≥70 dB).

RESULTS

Overall, family vocalizations (38% of observation time, n = 83.9 hours), clinician vocalizations (32%, n = 70.6 hours), and child nonverbal vocalizations (29.4%, n = 64.9 hours) were the main human sound sources. Media sounds (57.7%, n = 127.3 hours), general activity (40.7%, n = 89.8 hours), and medical equipment (31.3%, n = 69.1 hours) were the main environmental sound sources. Media sounds occurred in more than half of video hours. Child nonverbal (71.6%, n = 10.2 hours) and family vocalizations (63.2%, n = 9 hours) were highly prevalent during sound peaks. General activity (32.1%, n = 33.2 hours), clinician vocalizations (22.5%, n = 23.3 hours), and medical equipment sounds (20.6, n = 21.3 hours) were prevalent during night shifts.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians should partner with families to limit nighttime PICU noise pollution. Large-scale studies using this reliable coding scheme are needed to understand the PICU sound environment.

Non-pharmacological interventions for delirium in the pediatric population: a systematic review with narrative synthesis

BACKGROUND

Delirium is a serious complication experienced by hospitalized children. Therefore, preventive management strategies are recommended for these patients. However, comprehensive analyses of delirium interventions in children remain insufficient. Specifically, this systematic review aimed to summarize non-pharmacological interventions for pediatric delirium, addressing the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of effective strategies. We also explored frequently measured outcome variables to contribute evidence for future research on delirium outcomes in children.

METHODS

This systematic review searched articles from PubMed, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Excerpta Medica databases. The eligibility criteria were formed under the population, intervention, comparator, outcome, and study design framework. Studies were included if they involved (1) children aged under 18 years receiving hospital care, (2) non-pharmacological delirium interventions, (3) comparators involving no intervention or pharmacological delirium interventions, and (4) outcomes measuring the effectiveness of non-pharmacological delirium interventions. Only peer-reviewed articles published in English were included.

RESULTS

Overall, 16 studies were analyzed; of them, 9 assessed non-pharmacological interventions for emergence delirium and 7 assessed interventions for pediatric delirium. The intervention types were grouped as follows: educational (n = 5), multicomponent (n = 6), and technology-assisted (n = 5). Along with pediatric and emergence delirium, the most frequently measured outcome variables were pain, patient anxiety, parental anxiety, pediatric intensive care unit length of stay, agitation, analgesic consumption, and postoperative maladaptive behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-pharmacological interventions for children are effective treatments without associated complications. However, determining the most effective non-pharmacological delirium intervention for hospitalized children based on current data remains challenging.

Childhood sleep: assessments, risk factors, and potential mechanisms

BACKGROUND

Sleep problem is a highly prevalent health issue among pediatric populations across the world. In this review, we aimed to identify risk factors contributing to sleep deficiency and poor sleep hygiene in children. Potential biological, psychosocial, and environmental mechanisms as well as research gaps in the literature are also discussed.

DATA SOURCES

A comprehensive search for relevant English language full-text, peer-reviewed publications was performed focusing on pediatric sleep studies from prenatal to childhood and adolescence in a variety of indexes in PubMed, SCOPUS, and Psych Info. Both relevant data based and systematic reviews are included.

RESULTS

This paper summarizes many risk factors for childhood sleep problems, including biological (e.g., genetics, gender, age and puberty, prenatal factors, postnatal factors); nutritional (e.g., macronutrients, micronutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, obesity); environmental (e.g., heavy metals, noise, light, air pollution); interpersonal (e.g., family, exposure to violence, screen media use, physical injury); and community/socioeconomic variables (e.g., racial/ethnicity and cultural factors, neighborhood conditions and socioeconomic status, school factors, public health disasters/emergencies), to better understand the development of sleep problems in children.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor childhood sleep is a multifactorial issue affected by a wide range of prenatal and early-life biological, environmental, and psychosocial risk factors and contributors. A better understanding of these risk factors and their mechanisms is an important first step to develop future research and prevention programs focusing on pediatric sleep problems.

Challenges of the Implementation of a Delirium Rate Scale in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Approach

INTRODUCTION

Delirium in the pediatric population admitted to intensive care is a worrying reality due to its potential complications and the increase in associated costs. This study aims to explore the experiences of nursing staff of a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit after 15 months of starting a program to fight against childhood delirium in their unit.

METHODOLOGY

A qualitative study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Key Informants. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) and the consolidated criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) were followed as quality measures for the study. Seven nurses (33% of the eligible population) from the PICU of a referral hospital were interviewed. Text transcripts were analyzed using the Interpretative Description and Qualitative Content Analysis method.

RESULTS

The interviewees indicated not identifying delirium as an important reality; with great deficiencies observed in what is related to the identification of delirium; identifying CAPD as an unreliable tool in their unit; and not sharing therapeutic objectives in this respect with the medical staff.

CONCLUSIONS

The nursing staff presented a series of negative attitudes towards the phenomena of delirium in their unit, with gaps in training and in clinical management, and the diagnostic tool used, and did not see it as a priority objective of the unit, partly due to a resistance to change and a latent interprofessional communication conflict. A change at the formative, attitudinal, and relational levels is urgently needed for the success of the program and the well-being of the children in the unit.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit related Sleep and Circadian Dysregulation: a focused review

The pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is bright, loud, and disruptive to children. Strategies to improve the sleep of adults in the ICU have improved delirium and mortality rates. Children need more sleep than adults for active growth, healing, and development when well; this is likely true when they are critically ill. This review was performed to describe what we know in this area to date with the intent to identify future directions for research in this field. Since the 1990s, 16 articles on 14 observational trials have been published investigating the sleep on a total of 312 critically ill children and the melatonin levels of an additional 144. Sleep measurements occurred in 9 studies through bedside observation (n = 2), actigraphy (n = 2), electroencephalogram (n = 1) and polysomnography (n = 4), of which polysomnography is the most reliable. Children in the PICU sleep more during the day, have fragmented sleep and disturbed sleep architecture. Melatonin levels may be elevated and peak later in critically ill children. Early data suggest there are at-risk subgroups for sleep and circadian disruption in the PICU including those with sepsis, burns, traumatic brain injury and after cardiothoracic surgery. The available literature describing the sleep of critically ill children is limited to small single-center observational studies with varying measurements of sleep and inconsistent findings. Future studies should use validated measurements and standardized definitions to begin to harmonize this area of medicine to build toward pragmatic interventional trials that may shift the paradigm of care in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Sleep quantity and quality of critically ill children perceived by caregivers and bedside nursing staff: a pilot study

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Sleep is crucial for healing but often impaired in the pediatric intensive care unit due to environmental disruptions. Caregivers and bedside nursing staff are often most aware of these factors and the impact on patient sleep, but studies have not yet compared their perceptions.

METHODS

Caregivers and bedside nursing staff of pediatric patients staying a second night in the pediatric intensive care unit were asked to complete a survey regarding environmental factors (ie, temperature, light, sound, nursing staff room entries), sleep quality, and sleep quantity (ie, sleep duration, number of naps) of the pediatric patient. Caregivers were asked similar questions about their child's sleep at home.

RESULTS

The caregivers and nursing staff of 31 pediatric patients participated in this pilot study. There was no significant difference between caregiver and nursing staff ratings of sleep quality, sleep duration, number of naps, room temperature, sound, or light (P > .05 for all). Nursing staff did report significantly more room entries than caregivers (P = .01). Compared to sleep at home, caregivers reported sleep in the hospital to be of lower quality (P = .009) with more frequent room entries (P = .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Caregivers rate their child's sleep in the pediatric intensive care unit as lower quality than sleep at home. Caregivers and bedside nursing staff largely agree about pediatric patient sleep quality and quantity as well as environmental factors. This agreement may facilitate further research and interventions at improving sleep in the pediatric intensive care unit.

CITATION

Witte MA, Lloyd RM, McGree M, Kawai Y. Sleep quantity and quality of critically ill children perceived by caregivers and bedside nursing staff: a pilot study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(12):2027-2033.

Preventing Excessive Noise Exposure in Infants, Children, and Adolescents

Noise exposure is a major cause of hearing loss in adults. Yet, noise affects people of all ages, and noise-induced hearing loss is also a problem for young people. Sensorineural hearing loss caused by noise and other toxic exposures is usually irreversible. Environmental noise, such as traffic noise, can affect learning, physiologic parameters, and quality of life. Children and adolescents have unique vulnerabilities to noise. Children may be exposed beginning in NICUs and well-baby nurseries, at home, at school, in their neighborhoods, and in recreational settings. Personal listening devices are increasingly used, even by small children. Infants and young children cannot remove themselves from noisy situations and must rely on adults to do so, children may not recognize hazardous noise exposures, and teenagers generally do not understand the consequences of high exposure to music from personal listening devices or attending concerts and dances. Environmental noise exposure has disproportionate effects on underserved communities. In this report and the accompanying policy statement, common sources of noise and effects on hearing at different life stages are reviewed. Noise-abatement interventions in various settings are discussed. Because noise exposure often starts in infancy and its effects result mainly from cumulative exposure to loud noise over long periods of time, more attention is needed to its presence in everyday activities starting early in life. Listening to music and attending dances, concerts, and celebratory and other events are sources of joy, pleasure, and relaxation for many people. These situations, however, often result in potentially harmful noise exposures. Pediatricians can potentially lessen exposures, including promotion of safer listening, by raising awareness in parents, children, and teenagers. Noise exposure is underrecognized as a serious public health issue in the United States, with exposure limits enforceable only in workplaces and not for the general public, including children and adolescents. Greater awareness of noise hazards is needed at a societal level.

Promoting Functional Recovery in Critically Ill Children

Over two-thirds of pediatric critical illness survivors will experience functional impairments that persist after discharge, that is, post-intensive care syndrome in pediatrics (PICS-p). Risk factors include child and family characteristics, invasive procedures, and social determinants of health. Approaches to remediate PICS-p include early rehabilitation, minimizing sedation, psychosocial resources for caregivers, delivery of family-centered care, and longitudinal screening for PICS-p. Challenges include feasible and validated approaches to screening, and resources and coordination for multidisciplinary care. Next steps should include resources to identify and address adverse social determinants of health and examination of treatment efficacy and implementation equity.

The Effectiveness of the Interventions to Reduce Sound Levels in the ICU: A Systematic Review

Excessive noise is ubiquitous in the ICU, and there is growing evidence of the negative impact on work performance of caregivers. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of interventions to reduce noise in the ICU.

DATA SOURCES

Databases of PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science were systematically searched from inception to September 14, 2022.

STUDY SELECTION

Two independent reviewers assessed titles and abstracts against study eligibility criteria. Noise mitigating ICU studies were included when having at least one quantitative acoustic outcome measure expressed in A-weighted sound pressure level with an experimental, quasi-experimental, or observational design. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus, and a third independent reviewer adjudicated as necessary.

DATA EXTRACTION

After title, abstract, and full-text selection, two reviewers independently assessed the quality of each study using the Cochrane's Risk Of Bias In Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions tool. Data were synthesized according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, and interventions were summarized.

DATA SYNTHESIS

After screening 12,652 articles, 25 articles were included, comprising either a mixed group of healthcare professionals (n = 17) or only nurses (n = 8) from adult or PICU settings. Overall, the methodological quality of the studies was low. Noise reduction interventions were categorized into education (n = 4), warning devices (n = 3), multicomponent programs (n = 15), and architectural redesign (n = 3). Education, a noise warning device, and an architectural redesign significantly decreased the sound pressure levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Staff education and visual alert systems seem promising interventions to reduce noise with a short-term effect. The evidence of the studied multicomponent intervention studies, which may lead to the best results, is still low. Therefore, high-quality studies with a low risk of bias and a long-term follow-up are warranted. Embedding noise shielding within the ICU-redesign is supportive to reduce sound pressure levels.

Supporting families during pediatric critical illness: Opportunities identified in a multicenter, qualitative study

Critical illness resulting in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission is a profoundly stressful experience for a child and their family. Increasing evidence for emotional and behavioral sequelae post-PICU emphasizes a need to provide better support for families throughout this period of care and recovery. The aim of this qualitative investigation was to identify salient and modifiable aspects of a critical care experience that can be addressed to better support families of critically ill children. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 caregivers of children who survived a PICU admission. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim; themes were identified via thematic analysis. Caregivers were enrolled using convenience sampling from seven tertiary care PICUs in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network. Themes from caregiver interviews were identified within two overarching categories containing three themes each. Advice for future PICU families: (1) Be intentional about caring for your own well-being, (2) speak up, ask questions, and challenge decisions you're not comfortable with, and (3) continue to engage with your child. Characteristics of a satisfactory PICU experience: (1) A caregiver-provider relationship of mutual trust established through clear communication and respectful collaboration, (2) hospital environments that provide physical and social supports to maintain humanity in healthcare, and (3) preparing families for care transitions. Targeted, interdisciplinary approaches to partner with families during critical care may improve their PICU experience and contribute to improved long-term outcomes for PICU survivors.

Types, sources, socioeconomic impacts, and control strategies of environmental noise: a review

Noise exposure has reached an alarming degree over the years because of rapid growth in the industry, transportation, and urbanization. Therefore, it is a dire need to provide awareness of the sources and mitigation strategies of noise, and to highlight the health, and socio-economic impacts of noise. A few research studies have documented this emerging issue; however, there is no comprehensive document describing all types of noise, their impacts on living organisms, and control strategies. This review article summarizes the sources of noise; their effects on industrial workers, citizens, and animals; and the value of property in noisy areas. The plethora of literature is showing an increased level of noise in various cities of the world, which have various health consequences such as high blood pressure, insomnia, nausea, heart attack, exhaustion, dizziness, headache, and triggered hearing loss. Apart from humans, noise also affects animal habitat, preying, and reproduction ability; increases heart rate and hearing loss to even death and loss in property value; and impairs the hospital environment. Finally, we have discussed the possible strategies to mitigate the noise problem, policy statements, and regulations to be followed, with future research directions based on the identified research gaps.

Rol de enfermería frente al delirium en unidad de cuidado intensivo pediátrico: Scoping Review

Introducción: El manejo integral de delirium tiene componentes de diferente índole y el rol de enfermería frente a éste puede ser difuso. Objetivo: Identificar en la literatura disponible los cuidados de enfermería no farmacológicos para niños hospitalizados en Unidad de Cuidado Intensivo Pediátrica que presenten delirium. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda estratégica en Web Of Science, Medline, Science Direct, Scielo, Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, LILACS y Open Grey utilizando los términos “nursing care”, “child OR children”, “delirium”, y “Pediatric Intensive Care Unit”. La extracción y análisis de los datos se dio por medio de una matriz. Resultados: Se identificaron 12 artículos que cumplían con los criterios de inclusión y se clasificaron en 4 categorías según la intervención principal desarrollada en el estudio: Abordaje investigativo, intervenciones de confort, intervenciones integrales, e intervenciones educativas. Discusión: El cuidado de enfermería frente al delirium comprende medidas preventivas o curativas que parten del paciente como centro y se extienden hasta su entorno y su familia. Las intervenciones de enfermería pueden estar interrelacionadas de manera que se sustentan y complementan entre ellas. Algunas actividades de cuidado pueden considerarse un indicador de calidad de la atención en salud. Conclusiones: Para abordar integralmente el delirium pediátrico es necesario incidir sobre los factores individuales, ambientales y estructurales que contribuyen a su aparición. El cuidado de enfermería frente al delirium constituye una forma de proteger y promover el bienestar y el desarrollo inmediato y futuro de los niños.

Development of a non-pharmacologic delirium management bundle in paediatric intensive care units

BACKGROUND

Non-pharmacologic interventions might be effective to reduce the incidence of delirium in pediatric intensive care units (PICU).

AIM

To explore expert opinions and generate informed consensus decisions regarding the content of a non-pharmacologic delirium bundle to manage delirium in PICU patients.

STUDY DESIGN

A two-round online Delphi study was conducted from February to April 2021. PICU experts (nurses, physicians, researchers, physical therapists, play specialists, and occupational therapists) located in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia participated.

RESULTS

We developed a questionnaire based on the outcomes of a comprehensive literature search in the domains: 1) cognition support; 2) sleep support; and 3) physical activity support. Under these domains, we listed 11 strategies to promote support with 61 interventions. Participants rated the feasibility of each intervention on a 9-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 strongly disagree to 9 strongly agree). A disagreement index and panel median were calculated to determine the level of agreement among experts. In the second round, participants reassessed the revised statements and ranked the interventions in each domain in order of importance for age groups: 0-2, 3-5, and 6-18 years of age. During the first Delphi round, 53 of 74 (72%) questionnaires were completed, and in the second round 45 of 74 (61%) were completed. Five of the highest ranked interventions across the age groups were: 1) developing a daily routine, 2) adjusting light exposure according to the time of day, 3) scheduling time for sleep, 4) providing eyeglasses and hearing aids if appropriate, 5) encouraging parental presence.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on expert consensus, we developed an age-specific non-pharmacologic delirium bundle of interventions to manage delirium in PICU patients.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

An age-specific Non-Pharmacological Delirium bundle is now ready to be tested in the PICU and will hopefully reduce pediatric delirium.

Recommendations for analgesia and sedation in critically ill children admitted to intensive care unit

We aim to develop evidence-based recommendations for intensivists caring for children admitted to intensive care units and requiring analgesia and sedation. A panel of national paediatric intensivists expert in the field of analgesia and sedation and other specialists (a paediatrician, a neuropsychiatrist, a psychologist, a neurologist, a pharmacologist, an anaesthesiologist, two critical care nurses, a methodologist) started in 2018, a 2-year process. Three meetings and one electronic-based discussion were dedicated to the development of the recommendations (presentation of the project, selection of research questions, overview of text related to the research questions, discussion of recommendations). A telematic anonymous consultation was adopted to reach the final agreement on recommendations. A formal conflict-of-interest declaration was obtained from all the authors. Eight areas of direct interest and one additional topic were considered to identify the best available evidence and to develop the recommendations using the Evidence-to-Decision framework according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. For each recommendation, the level of evidence, the strength of the recommendation, the benefits, the harms and the risks, the benefit/harm balance, the intentional vagueness, the values judgement, the exclusions, the difference of the opinions, the knowledge gaps, and the research opportunities were reported. The panel produced 17 recommendations. Nine were evaluated as strong, 3 as moderate, and 5 as weak. Conclusion: a panel of national experts achieved consensus regarding recommendations for the best care in terms of analgesia and sedation in critically ill children.

Patterns of Delirium in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Associations With Noise Pollution

OBJECTIVE

Delirium is a common problem in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and is associated with increased length of stay, cost and mortality. This study evaluated the relationship between noise pollution and delirium risk. Design: This is a Quality Improvement (QI) initiative at an academic PICU. Sound levels were monitored and patients were screened for delirium using the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAPD). Setting PICU Patients: All PICU patients Interventions: None Measurements and Main Results: Over the 83-week study period (2015-2017), the median [IQR] CAPD score was 8 [3 to 14]. Nursing compliance with the CAPD was 72.2%. The proportion of patients screening positive for delirium (CAPD ≥ 9) was 45.9%. A total of 329 711 hly decibel (dB) measurements were collected and reported. Occupied rooms were louder than unoccupied rooms (51.8 [51.6-51.9] dB vs. 49.8 [49.7-49.9] dB, respectively, p < 0.001). Days (10 AM to 4 PM) were louder than nights (11 PM to 5 AM) (52.8 [52.7-53.0] dB vs. 50.7 [49.9-51.5] dB, respectively p < 0.001) in occupied rooms. Winter (Nov-Feb) months were louder than summer (May-Aug) months (52.0 [51.8-52.3] dB vs. 51.5 [51.3-51.7] dB, respectively, p < 0.002) in occupied rooms. Median weekly nighttime noise levels and CAPD scores demonstrated a correlation coefficient of 0.6 (p < 0.001). Median weekly risk of mortality (ROM) and CAPD scores demonstrated a correlation coefficient of 0.15 (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Significant noise pollution exists in the PICU with a moderate correlation between nighttime noise levels and CAPD scores. This could potentially implicate noise pollution as a risk factor for the development of delirium.

Intensive Care Unit Built Environments: A Comprehensive Literature Review (2005-2020)

BACKGROUND

The intensive care environment in hospitals has been the subject of significant empirical and qualitative research in the 2005-2020 period. Particular attention has been devoted to the role of infection control, family engagement, staff performance, and the built environment ramifications of the recent COVID-19 global pandemic. A comprehensive review of this literature is reported summarizing recent advancements in this rapidly expanding body of knowledge.

PURPOSE AND AIM

This comprehensive review conceptually structures the recent medical intensive care literature to provide conceptual clarity and identify current priorities and future evidence-based research and design priorities.

METHOD AND RESULT

Each source reviewed was classified as one of the five types-opinion pieces/essays, cross-sectional empirical investigations, nonrandomized comparative investigations, randomized studies, and policy review essays-and into nine content categories: nature engagement and outdoor views; family accommodations; intensive care unit (ICU), neonatal ICU, and pediatric ICU spatial configuration and amenity; noise considerations; artificial and natural lighting; patient safety and infection control; portable critical care field hospitals and disaster mitigation facilities including COVID-19; ecological sustainability; and recent planning and design trends and prognostications.

CONCLUSIONS

Among the findings embodied in the 135 literature sources reviewed, single-bed ICU rooms have increasingly become the norm; family engagement in the ICU experience has increased; acknowledgment of the therapeutic role of staff amenities; exposure to nature, view, and natural daylight has increased; the importance of ecological sustainability; and pandemic concerns have increased significantly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Discussion of the results of this comprehensive review includes topics noticeably overlooked or underinvestigated in the 2005-2020 period and priorities for future research.

Decaying amplitude envelopes reduce alarm annoyance: Exploring new approaches to improving auditory interfaces

Auditory alarms offer great potential for facilitating human-computer interactions in complex, rapidly changing environments. They are particularly useful in medical settings, where in theory they should afford communication in emergency rooms, operating theatres, and hospitals around the world. Unfortunately, the sounds typically used in these devices are problematic, and researchers have documented numerous shortcomings. Their ubiquity means that even incremental improvements can have significant benefits for patient care. However, solutions have proven challenging for multiple reasons-including issues of backward compatibility inherent in changing any standard. Here we present a series of three experiments showing that manipulations to one specific, understudied property can significantly lower alarm annoyance without harming learning or memory-while preserving an alarm's melodic and rhythmic structure. These results suggest promising new directions for improving the hospital's soundscape, where evidence of problems related to sound are increasingly recognized as affecting medical outcomes as well as physician well-being.

Research status and prospect of peri-extubation delirium

Peri-extubation delirium is a clinical syndrome caused by multiple factors, and it is not a simple disease. It occurs within a period of time after extubation when the effect of general anesthesia is reduced. And the incidence is different in disparate populations, and it is more common in elderly patients. Current studies have shown that iatrogenic factors and patients' own factors are the main risk factors for the syndrome. Early identification of risk factors can help clinicians make early diagnosis. The earlier the diagnosis and treatment begin, the more significantly the prognosis of patients can be improved. At present, the treatment of perioperative delirium is based on non-drug therapy, supplemented by drug therapy. This review will introduce in detail the risk factors, population status and prevention measures of delirium during peri-extubation, and look forward to the new research direction in the future.

Improving Pediatric Delirium Assessment Documentation and Implementation of a Nonpharmacologic Delirium Management Bundle in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit

BACKGROUND

Pediatric delirium is common, associated with negative patient outcomes, and infrequently assessed in the ICU. Locally, pediatric delirium assessments in the cardiac PICU were infrequently documented resulting in an initiative to increase assessment documentation and implement a nurse-driven management protocol, the Bundle to Eliminate Delirium (BED).

METHODS

This was a nurse-driven, quality improvement project in an eleven-bed cardiac PICU at a large academic health care facility. A pre- and postimplementation survey evaluating delirium management perceptions, knowledge, and assessment barriers was emailed to 113 nurses. Nurses received education about general delirium principles and assessment followed by weekly emails that included delirium assessment documentation rates and targeted education. Subsequently, BED education was provided via email followed by BED implementation, inclusion of BED completion rates in weekly emails, and observational audits of BED implementation.

FINDINGS

1522 delirium assessment opportunities were evaluated. Assessment documentation increased by 33%. Nurses reported greater confidence in their ability to manage delirium (P < .05 for numerous aspects of delirium care) and were less likely to report 'positive delirium assessments not acted upon' as a barrier to delirium assessment. BED implementation was inconsistent.

DISCUSSION

Nursing education and feedback can increase delirium assessment rates and confidence in management but the impact of BED on these outcomes is not clear.

APPLICATION TO PRACTICE

Improvement in pediatric delirium care may be obtained through a nurse-driven quality improvement project but an interprofessional approach is needed for optimal management. More studies are needed to identify effective pediatric delirium management strategies such as the BED.

Delirium Variability is Influenced by the Sound Environment (DEVISE Study): How Changes in the Intensive Care Unit soundscape affect delirium incidence

Quantitative data on the sensory environment of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and its potential link to increased risk of delirium is limited. We examined whether higher average sound and light levels in ICU environments are associated with delirium incidence. Over 111 million sound and light measurements from 143 patient stays in the surgical and trauma ICUs were collected using Quietyme® (Neshkoro, Wisconsin) sensors from May to July 2018 and analyzed. Sensory data were grouped into time of day, then normalized against their ICU environments, with Confusion Assessment Method (CAM-ICU) scores measured each shift. We then performed logistic regression analysis, adjusting for possible confounding variables. Lower morning sound averages (8 am-12 pm) (OR = 0.835, 95% OR CI = [0.746, 0.934], p = 0.002) and higher daytime sound averages (12 pm-6 pm) (OR = 1.157, 95% OR CI = [1.036, 1.292], p = 0.011) were associated with an increased odds of delirium incidence, while nighttime sound averages (10 pm-8 am) (OR = 0.990, 95% OR CI = [0.804, 1.221], p = 0.928) and the ICU light environment did not show statistical significance. Our results suggest an association between the ICU soundscape and the odds of developing delirium. This creates a future paradigm for studies of the ICU soundscape and lightscape.

Environmental exposures and sleep outcomes: A review of evidence, potential mechanisms, and implications

Environmental exposures and poor sleep outcomes are known to have consequential effects on human health. This integrative review first seeks to present and synthesize existing literature investigating the relationship between exposure to various environmental factors and sleep health. We then present potential mechanisms of action as well as implications for policy and future research for each environmental exposure. Broadly, although studies are still emerging, empirical evidence has begun to show a positive association between adverse effects of heavy metal, noise pollution, light pollution, second-hand smoke, and air pollution exposures and various sleep problems. Specifically, these negative sleep outcomes range from subjective sleep manifestations, such as general sleep quality, sleep duration, daytime dysfunction, and daytime sleepiness, as well as objective sleep measures, including difficulties with sleep onset and maintenance, sleep stage or circadian rhythm interference, sleep arousal, REM activity, and sleep disordered breathing. However, the association between light exposure and sleep is less clear. Potential toxicological mechanisms are thought to include the direct effect of various environmental toxicants on the nervous, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Nevertheless, future research is required to tease out the exact pathways of action to explain the associations between each environmental factor and sleep, to inform possible therapies to negate the detrimental effects, and to increase efforts in decreasing exposure to these harmful environmental factors to improve health.

Sleep in the Hospitalized Child: A Contemporary Review

Acute illness and hospitalization introduce several risk factors for sleep disruption in children that can negatively affect recovery and healing and potentially compromise long-term cognition and executive function. The hospital setting is not optimized for pediatric sleep promotion, and many of the pharmacologic interventions intended to promote sleep in the hospital actually may have deleterious effects on sleep quality and quantity. To date, evidence to support pharmacologic sleep promotion in the pediatric inpatient setting is sparse. Therefore, nonpharmacologic interventions to optimize sleep-wake patterns are of highest yield in a vulnerable population of patients undergoing active neurocognitive development. In this review, we briefly examine what is known about healthy sleep in children and describe risk factors for sleep disturbances, available sleep measurement tools, and potential interventions for sleep promotion in the pediatric inpatient setting.

The Impact of Implementing a “Pain, Agitation, and Delirium Bundle” in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Improved Delirium Diagnosis

Delirium is associated with significant negative outcomes, yet it remains underdiagnosed in children. We describe the impact of implementing a pain, agitation, and delirium (PAD) bundle on the rate of delirium detection in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). This represents a single-center, pre-/post-intervention retrospective and prospective cohort study. The study was conducted at a PICU in a quaternary university-affiliated pediatric hospital. All patients consecutively admitted to the PICU in October and November 2017 and 2018. Purpose of the study was describe the impact of the implementation of a PAD bundle. The rate of delirium detection and the utilization of sedative and analgesics in the pre- and post-implementation phases were measured. A total of 176 and 138 patients were admitted during the pre- and post-implementation phases, respectively. Of them, 7 (4%) and 44 (31.9%) were diagnosed with delirium (p < 0.001). Delirium was diagnosed in the first 48 hours of PICU admission and lasted for a median of 2 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 2–4). Delirium diagnosis was higher in patients receiving invasive ventilation (p < 0.001). Compliance with the PAD bundle scoring was 79% for the delirium scale. Score results were discussed during medical rounds for 68% of the patients in the post-implementation period. The number of patients who received opioids and benzodiazepines and the cumulative doses were not statistically different between the two cohorts. More patients received dexmedetomidine and the cumulative daily dose was higher in the post-implementation period (p < 0.001). The implementation of a PAD bundle in a PICU was associated with an increased recognition of delirium diagnosis. Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of this increased diagnostic rate on short- and long-term outcomes.

The LiberAction Project: Implementation of a Pediatric Liberation Bundle to Screen Delirium, Reduce Benzodiazepine Sedation, and Provide Early Mobilization in a Human Resource-Limited Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Background: Delirium, bed immobilization, and heavy sedation are among the major contributors of pediatric post-intensive care syndrome. Recently, the Society of Critical Care Medicine has proposed the implementation of daily interventions to minimize the incidence of these morbidities and optimize children functional outcomes and quality of life. Unfortunately, these interventions require important clinical and economical efforts which prevent their use in many pediatric intensive care units (PICU). Aim: First, to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a PICU bundle implementation prioritizing delirium screening and treatment, early mobilization (<72 h from PICU admission) and benzodiazepine-limited sedation in a human resource-limited PICU. Second, to evaluate the incidence of delirium and describe the early mobilization practices and sedative drugs used during the pre- and post-implementation periods. Third, to describe the barriers and adverse events encountered during early mobilization. Methods: This observational study was structured in a pre- (15th November 2019-30th June 2020) and post-implementation period (1st July 2020-31st December 2020). All patients admitted in PICU for more than 72 h during the pre and post-implementation period were included in the study. Patients were excluded if early mobilization was contraindicated. During the pre-implementation period, a rehabilitation program including delirium screening and treatment, early mobilization and benzodiazepine-sparing sedation guidelines was developed and all PICU staff trained. During the post-implementation period, delirium screening with the Connell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium scale was implemented at bedside. Early mobilization was performed using a structured tiered protocol and a new sedation protocol, limiting the use of benzodiazepine, was adopted. Results: Two hundred and twenty-five children were enrolled in the study, 137 in the pre-implementation period and 88 in the post-implementation period. Adherence to delirium screening, benzodiazepine-limited sedation and early mobilization was 90.9, 81.1, and 70.4%, respectively. Incidence of delirium was 23% in the post-implementation period. The median cumulative dose of benzodiazepines corrected for the total number of sedation days (mg/kg/sedation days) was significantly lower in the post-implementation period compared with the pre-implementation period: [0.83 (IQR: 0.53-1.31) vs. 0.74 (IQR: 0.55-1.16), p = 0.0001]. The median cumulative doses of fentanyl, remifentanil, and morphine corrected for the total number of sedation days were lower in the post-implementation period, but these differences were not significant. The median number of mobilizations per patient and the duration of each mobilization significantly increased in the post-implementation period [3.00 (IQR: 2.0-4.0) vs. 7.00 (IQR: 3.0-12.0); p = 0.004 and 4 min (IQR: 3.50-4.50) vs. 5.50 min (IQR: 5.25-6.5); p < 0.0001, respectively]. Barriers to early mobilization were: disease severity and bed rest orders (55%), lack of physicians' order (20%), lack of human resources (20%), and lack of adequate devices for patient mobilization (5%). No adverse events related to early mobilization were reported in both periods. Duration of mechanical ventilation and PICU length of stay was significantly lower in the post-implementation period as well as the occurrence of iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome. Conclusion: This study showed that the implementation of a PICU liberation bundle prioritizing delirium screening and treatment, benzodiazepine-limited sedation and early mobilization was feasible and safe even in a human resource-limited PICU. Further pediatric studies are needed to evaluate the clinical impact of delirium, benzodiazepine-limited sedation and early mobilization protocols on patients' long-term functional outcomes and on hospital finances.

Pediatric delirium: epidemiology and outcomes

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Delirium is a frequent complication of serious medical illness in children. The purpose of this review is to highlight recent data on the epidemiology and outcomes related to pediatric delirium, and discuss prevention strategies.

RECENT FINDINGS

Delirium rates in the pediatric ICU are greater than 25%. Delirium in children is associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation and hospital length of stay, increased costs, and excess mortality. Pediatric delirium may affect postdischarge cognition and quality of life. Recent initiatives targeting universal screening, early mobilization, and minimization of benzodiazepine-based sedation have shown reduction in delirium prevalence.

SUMMARY

Widespread screening is needed in critically ill children to detect and mitigate delirium. The identification of modifiable risk factors has provided an opportunity for delirium prevention. Large-scale longitudinal studies are needed to investigate the long-term sequelae of delirium in children.

Contribution of alarm noise to average sound pressure levels in the ICU: An observational cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To explore sound levels, alarm frequencies and the association between alarms and sound levels.

DESIGN

A single center observational cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Four intensive care units.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Contribution of alarms: red (life threatening), yellow (indicate excess of limits) and blue (technical) to sound pressure levels dB(A) at nursing stations.

RESULTS

Mean sound pressure levels differed significantly between day (56.1 ± 5.5), evening (55.1 ± 5.7) and night periods 53.6 ± 5.6; p < 0.01. 175,996 alarms were recorded of which 149,764 (85%) were yellow, 18,080 (10%) were red and 8,152 (5%) were blue. The mean sound levels without alarms (background) is 56.8 dB(A), with only red: 56.0 dB(A), only yellow: 55.6 dB(A), only blue: 56.0 dB(A) and mixed alarms: 56.3 dB(A). Yellow alarms (b = -0.93; 95% CI: -1.26 to -0.6; p < 0.001) were weakly but significantly associated with mean sound levels and lead to a slight decrease in noise level (1 dB), Red alarms (b = -0.3; 95% CI: -1.237 to 0.63; p = 0.52). The R Square of the model with all alarms was 0.01 (standard error of estimate, 6.9; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Sound levels were high during all day-periods. Alarms exceeding limits occurred most frequently. However, the contribution of alarms to sound levels measured at the nursing station is clinically limited.

A Clinical Pathway to Standardize Care of Children With Delirium in Pediatric Inpatient Settings

Pediatric delirium is an important comorbidity of medical illness in inpatient pediatric care that has lacked a consistent approach for detection and management. A clinical pathway (CP) was developed to address this need. Pediatric delirium contributes significantly to morbidity, mortality, and costs of inpatient care of medically ill children and adolescents. Screening for delirium in hospital settings with validated tools is feasible and effective in reducing delirium and improving outcomes; however, multidisciplinary coordination is required for implementation. The workgroup, composed of international experts in child and adolescent consultation psychiatry, reviewed the literature and developed a flowchart for feasible screening and management of pediatric delirium. When evidence was lacking, expert consensus was reached; stakeholder feedback was included to create the final pathway. A CP expert collaborated with the workgroup. Two sequential CPs were created: (1) "Prevention and Identification of Pediatric Delirium" emphasizes the need for systematic preventive measures and screening, and (2) "Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Delirium" recommends an urgent and ongoing search for the underlying causes to reverse the syndrome while providing symptomatic management focused on comfort and safety. Detailed accompanying documents explain the supporting literature and the rationale for recommendations and provide resources such as screening tools and implementation guides. Additionally, the role of the child and adolescent consultation-liaison psychiatrist as a resource for collaborative care of patients with delirium is discussed.

Delirium in hospitalised children

Delirium is a syndrome characterised by an acute and fluctuating alteration in cognition and awareness. It occurs frequently in children with serious medical illness, and is associated with adverse outcomes such as increased length of hospital stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, hospital costs, and mortality. Delirium-especially the hypoactive subtype-is often overlooked by paediatric practitioners, but can be reduced by mitigating risks and effectively managed if detected early. Non-modifiable risk factors of delirium include young age (age <2 years), cognitive or neurological disabilities, need for invasive mechanical ventilation, severe underlying illness and pre-existing chronic conditions, and poor nutritional status. Routine bedside screening using validated tools can enable early detection of delirium. To reduce delirium in hospitalised children, health-care providers should optimise the hospital environment (eg, by reducing sleep disruption and keeping the child stimulated during the day), improve pain management, and decrease sedation (particularly use of benzodiazepines).

Not just to survive but to thrive: delirium in the pediatric cardiac ICU

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Pediatric delirium has recently been recognized to occur frequently in the pediatric general and cardiac ICU. The purpose of this review is to highlight recent data on the prevalence, prevention, and management of this condition.

RECENT FINDINGS

Pediatric delirium occurs in the pediatric cardiac ICU (PCICU) in as many as 67% of patients. Validated screening tools are now available to assist clinicians in the diagnosis of this condition. Research has shown a growing relationship between benzodiazepines, mainstays in the realm of sedation, and delirium. The full spectrum of risk factors has yet to be clearly elucidated. After normalization of the ICU environment, antipsychotics are infrequently required for treatment. While pediatric delirium has been associated with increased length of stay and cost, long-term morbidities are unknown at this time.

SUMMARY

Application of bundles to normalize the PCICU environment may lead to decreased incidence of pediatric delirium. Multiinstitutional studies are indicated to further delineate optimal bundles, stratify treatment strategies, and investigate long-term morbidity in pediatric delirium.

Mapping sources of noise in an intensive care unit

Excessive noise in hospitals adversely affects patients' sleep and recovery, causes stress and fatigue in staff and hampers communication. The World Health Organization suggests sound levels should be limited to 35 decibels. This is probably unachievable in intensive care units, but some reduction from current levels should be possible. A preliminary step would be to identify principal sources of noise. As part of a larger project investigating techniques to reduce environmental noise, we installed a microphone array system in one with four beds in an adult general intensive care unit. This continuously measured locations and sound pressure levels of noise sources. This report summarises results recorded over one year. Data were collected between 7 April 2017 and 16 April 2018 inclusive. Data for a whole day were available for 248 days. The sound location system revealed that the majority of loud sounds originated from extremely limited areas, very close to patients' ears. This proximity maximises the adverse effects of high environmental noise levels for patients. Some of this was likely to be appropriate communication between the patient, their caring staff and visitors. However, a significant proportion of loud sounds may originate from equipment alarms which are sited at the bedside. A redesign of the intensive care unit environment to move alarm sounds away from the bed-side might significantly reduce the environmental noise burden to patients.

The Life Course Health Development Model: A theoretical research framework for paediatric delirium

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To create a framework for future research through application and critique of the Life Course Health Development Model to the phenomenon of paediatric delirium.

BACKGROUND

Delirium in the paediatric intensive care unit is associated with increased duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay and mortality. Nurses are uniquely positioned at the bedside to identify, prevent and treat delirium. An understanding of the potential long-term consequences of paediatric delirium is necessary to provide impetus for nursing research and practice change. The Life Course Health Development Model is a valuable tool when considering the multiple mechanisms and processes through which the experience of delirium could affect a child's life trajectory.

DESIGN

Critical review of the literature through application and critique of the Life Course Health Development Model in the context of paediatric delirium. Gaps in the current understanding of paediatric delirium, as well as future directions for research and practice, are discussed.

METHODS

The seven core principles of the model are considered in the context of paediatric delirium. Each of the principles has the potential to further understanding of paediatric delirium and identify areas for future inquiry. This discussion leads to a critique of the ability of the model to lead future research and practice change.

CONCLUSIONS

The Life Course Health Development Model depicts a process in which the acute and severe stress of critical illness leads to maladaptive neurologic changes that contribute to the development of delirium and impair a child's life trajectory.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

By emphasising the potential lifelong consequences for critically ill children who experience delirium, this application of the Life Course Health Development Model will stimulate discussion, research and practice change among paediatric clinicians and researchers.

Prospective cohort study on noise levels in a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit

PURPOSE

To describe noise levels in a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, and to determine the relationship between sound levels and patient sedation requirements.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Prospective observational study at a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU). Sound levels were measured continuously in slow A weighted decibels dB(A) with a sound level meter SoundEarPro® during a 4-week period. Sedation requirement was assessed using the number of intermittent (PRNs) doses given per hour. Analysis was conducted with autoregressive moving average models and the Granger test for causality.

RESULTS

39 children were included in the study. The average (SD) sound level in the open area was 59.4 (2.5) dB(A) with a statistically significant but clinically unimportant difference between day/night hours (60.1 vs. 58.6; p-value < 0.001). There was no significant difference between sound levels in the open area/single room (59.4 vs. 60.8, p-value = 0.108). Peak noise levels were > 90 dB. There was a significant association between average (p-value = 0.030) and peak sound levels (p-value = 0.006), and number of sedation PRNs.

CONCLUSION

Sound levels were above the recommended values with no differences between day/night or open area/single room. High sound levels were significantly associated with sedation requirements.