Intensive care unit visiting and family communication during the COVID-19 pandemic: A UK survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Frequent visiting and communication with patients' families are embedded within normal ICU practice, however the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged this, and it is unclear how ICUs are managing. We aimed to investigate how NHS ICUs are approaching family communications and visiting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

An electronic snapshot survey was delivered between 16th April and 4th May 2020 and was open to NHS ICUs. Replies from 134 individual ICUs with COVID patients were included.

Results

All reported that visiting was more restricted than normal with 29 (22%) not allowing any visitors, 71 (53%) allowing visitors at the end of a patient's life (EOL) only, and 30 (22%) allowing visitors for vulnerable patients or EOL. Nearly all (n = 130, 97%) were up

SUBMITTER: Boulton AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9403523 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature