Reducing Delirium in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Delirium is an acute disturbance in mental abilities and confusion that affects many patient in the hospital and is caused by multiple factors including and altered sleep/wake cycles and multiple sedating medications. Patients in the ICU are particularly susceptible to developing delirium due to increased noise levels and metabolic derangements. Numerous studies have shown that delirium can be associated with many negative outcomes, including longer hospital length of stay, increased time on a ventilator, higher mortality rates, and greater long-term cognitive dysfunction. There are a series of non-pharmacological interventions that have been shown to reduce delirium especially in intensive care units. These include noise reduction, frequent reorientation, reducing unnecessary stimulation at night, and grouping patient care procedures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the benefits of eye masks and earplugs (used concurrently) on reducing delirium and to assess for associated outcomes such as length of stay, use of sedating medications, morbidity, and mortality. The benefits of this are to improve sleep quality, and this intervention has been associated with a reduction in the risk of delirium.