Contribution of the Intensive Care Unit Environment to Sleep Disruption in Mechanically Ventilated Patients and Healthy Subjects

• DOI: 10.1164/rccm.2201090
• Publication Date: 2003-02-21T21:51:52Z
• Authors: Jonathan Y. Gabor; Andrew B. Cooper; Shelley A. Crombach; Bert Lee; Nisha Kadikar; Harald E. Bettger; Patrick J. Hanly
• Keywords: Sleep; Etiology

Recent studies have challenged the traditional hypothesis that excessive environmental noise is central to etiology of sleep disruption in intensive care unit (ICU). We characterized potentially disruptive ICU stimuli and patient-care activities determined their relative contributions disruption. Furthermore, we studied effect isolation by placing healthy subjects both normal noise-reduced locations. Seven mechanically ventilated patients six were continuous 24-hour polysomnography with time-synchronized monitoring. Sound elevations occurred 36.5 +/- 20.1 times per hour responsible for 20.9 11.3% total arousals awakenings. Patient-care 7.8 4.2 7.1 4.4% Healthy slept relatively well typically loud environment experienced a quantitative, but not qualitative, improvement noise-reduced, single-patient room. Our data indicate account less than 30% awakenings suggest other elements critically ill patient's or treatment should be investigated pathogenesis