Has anyone ever heard of ICU Hysteria?

TIA

Re: Has anyone ever heard of ICU Hysteria?

In the hospital where I work we say "ICU psychosis" which means sometimes patients who are in a perfect mental state to begin with develop signs/symptoms of confusion, agitation after being in the ICU for awhile. It can be due to isolation, sensory overload, the machines, noises, lights, etc...

Re: Has anyone ever heard of ICU Hysteria?

scary...my dad was in ICU for 14 weeks......I did not notice any of those signs but he was in a drug induced coma for like 9-10 of those 14 weeks....

Re: Has anyone ever heard of ICU Hysteria?

Re: Has anyone ever heard of ICU Hysteria?

I am a psychologist and I do consultations on medical units including ICUs so I see it all the time. It is commonly called ICU psychosis but in actuality it is Delirium. Delirium is typically caused by some sort of medical problem (e.g., an infection--even as simiple as a UTI, some metabolic imbalance, dehydration, etc.) but can also be caused by being in setting such as an ICU where there is beeping and chaos with little distinction between night and day. It causes a person to be disoriented, confused and they wax in wane in their alertness (may fall asleep suddenly, or have difficult staying awake). The person may become agitated or hallucinate as well. If a medical problem is the underlying cause (which it typically is), treating the medical problem will treat the delirium, but it often takes a few days for the brain to catch up to the body, so to speak. It is important to constantly try and reorient the person (tell them where they are, what date it is, why they are in the hospital, who you are, etc.). It will definitely help. It is really hard to see a family member in this state but it is reverseable, it just may take time.