Evaluating Sleep in a Surgical Trauma Burn Intensive Care Unit: An Elusive Dilemma.

BACKGROUND: Evidence points to the adverse effects of sleep deprivation on a person's health. Despite decades of attention to the issue, patients, particularly those in the intensive care unit (ICU), continue to suffer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine patients' perceptions of their sleep experience in the surgical trauma burn ICU and identify contributing factors.

METHODOLOGY: Patients were administered the 6-question Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ) consisting of a 0- to 100-mm scale, with a low score indicating poor sleep quality. They were also asked an additional open-ended question.

RESULTS: Sixty patients participated. Data revealed a low overall RCSQ score of 43.6 of 100. Of the 5 validated questions on the RCSQ, the question with the lowest mean (35.6) targeted depth of sleep. The question pertaining to falling asleep immediately scored the highest at 52.2. The open-ended question revealed that 37% reported "interruptions" as the reason for not sleeping. Pain was also cited as a factor by 30%, with 11.7% citing discomfort from the bed as an irritant. An additional 21.6% reported noise as the central reason, with "pumps/monitor" noise as the most frequent culprit at 62%.

DISCUSSION: The pilot study results demonstrate that most participants perceived their sleep as poor in quality. These results direct targeted interventions that can be incorporated to reduce sleep deprivation in ICUs.