Can a Patient in Intensive Care be Visited by His or Her Pet?

Nearly half of all intensive care patients describe symptoms of anxiety and depression after a stay in the ICU, and one in five has genuine post-traumatic stress disorder. As a result, improving patient experience has become a priority in the ICU, and particular attention is being paid to the need to recreate a familiar environment. Animal-mediated interventions have been developed for a number of patients over many years. These strategies are widely used with elderly patients, and patients with cognitive or psychiatric disorders, for whom the literature shows benefits on anxiety, mood or objective signs of stress. In the vast majority of experiments carried out to date, the animals (mainly dogs) were prepared and educated for contact with patients, and their handlers trained in this activity, rather like guide dogs. Visiting a care facility with a patient's own pet is rarely described. It may run up against obstacles related to the animal's behavior or infectious risks, but it is nevertheless authorized in many establishments.