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If you want to know what ICU psychosis is, stay tuned. I’ve got news for you.

My name is Patrik Hutzel from intensivecarehotline.com and I’ve got another quick tip for families in intensive care.

So, one of the questions that we’re getting quite frequently is, “What is ICU psychosis?” Now, ICU psychosis also known as intensive care unit (ICU) delirium refers to a state of confusion, agitation, and altered mental status that can occur in patients who are in the ICU, especially those who are critically ill or undergoing invasive treatments.

This condition is typically characterized by disorientation, also known as difficulty knowing where they are or what time it is, hallucinations, seeing or hearing things that are not there, delusions, beliefs that are not based in reality such as believing they are being persecuted or controlled, restlessness, or agitation, patients may feel uneasy or act out physically, memory impairments, difficulty remembering events, especially those occurring in the ICU.

The exact cause of ICU psychosis is not always clear, but several factors can contribute including medications, sedatives, painkillers, and other drugs used in ICU settings may affect brain function. Sleep deprivation- the noisy and bright ICU environment can disrupt normal sleep patterns. Infection- sepsis or other infections can cause mental confusion. Hypoxia- low oxygen levels in the blood common in critically ill patients can affect brain function. Next, metabolic imbalances- electrolyte or glucose disturbances can contribute to altered mental status. Severe illness- the body’s response to a serious illness or trauma can lead to delirium as well.

ICU psychosis can range from mild to severe and may result once the underlying condition improves though it can lead to long-term cognitive issues in some cases. Early recognition and treatment are crucial for improving patient outcomes. Managing ICU psychosis typically involves addressing the root causes, i.e., adjusting medications, providing adequate sleep, treating infections, and offering supportive care.

Now and with my experience, I have worked in critical care nursing for 25 years where I’ve worked as a nurse manager for over 5 years in intensive care and where I’ve been consulting and advocating for families in intensive care since 2013 for families all over the world here at intensivecarehotline.com. I can, from my own experience say, that many patients, the longer they are in ICU, the longer they are in an induced coma, the higher chances are they end up with an ICU psychosis.

Another thing that I have found helping is good nursing care, regular washes, regular turns, getting out of bed, regular physical therapy, regular physiotherapy, getting patients back to a shower. That is one of the things that I found works the most. Treating people like a human.

When people are undergoing ICU psychosis, it can range from patients being confused, agitated, combative sometimes. But I’ve also seen actually some very funny situations where people wake up and they see things and they are really funny, but that makes you actually laugh, they call you a different name.

But at the end of the day, it’s all a side effect from being in an induced coma for too long. Usually, the longer time goes on when people then go back to a hospital ward, they also go back to a natural daylight, they go outside. Then, it often normalizes.

Having said that many patients in intensive care also end up with post-traumatic stress after being in an ICU psychosis. I will also answer in the next few days, what is an ICU delirium? And you will hear from me in the next few days about that.

Now, like I said, with intensivecarehotline.com, we’ve been consulting and advocating here since 2013 for families in intensive care all around the world. We are specialized on patient and family rights, and we’ve been saving many lives with our consulting and advocacy. You can verify that if you go to our testimonial section at intensivecarehotline.com and you can read what our clients say, or you can listen to our intensivecarehotline.com podcast. We’ve done some video interviews with some of our clients that can verify there that we have saved many lives for our clients in intensive care with our consulting and advocacy because we get results.

Also, we have helped hundreds and hundreds of members and clients over the years with their loved ones in intensive care, always getting results. Like I said, saving so many lives over the years with our consulting and advocacy because we understand intensive care inside out.

I do one-on-one consulting and advocacy over the phone, Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, whichever medium works best for you. I talk to you and your families directly. I handhold you through this once in a lifetime situation that you simply can’t afford to get wrong. I also talk to doctors directly with you or on your behalf. I ask all the questions that you haven’t even considered asking but must be asked when you have a loved one, critically ill in intensive care. I also represent you in family meetings with intensive care teams.

We also do medical record reviews in real time so that you can get a second opinion in real time. We also do medical record reviews after intensive care if you have unanswered questions, if you need closure, or if you are suspecting medical negligence.

All of that, you get at intensivecarehotline.com. Call us on one of the numbers on the top of our website or simply send us an email to [email protected] with your questions.

We also have an online membership for families of critically ill patients in intensive care. You can become a member if you go to intensivecarehotline.com, if you click on the membership link or if you go to intensivecaresupport.org directly. In the membership, you have access to me and my team, 24 hours a day, in the membership area and via email and we answer all questions, intensive care related. You also have access to 21 e-books and 21 videos and it’s exclusive access that only our members have access to, very specifically written and recorded for you, for your families in intensive care. All of that will help you to make informed decisions, have peace of mind, control, power, and influence.

If you like my videos, subscribe to my YouTube channel for regular updates for families in intensive care, click the like button, click the notification bell, share this video with your friends and families, and comment below what you want to see next, what questions and insights are from this video.

I also do a weekly YouTube live where I answer your questions live on the show. You will get notification for the YouTube live if you are a subscriber to my email newsletter at intensivecarehotline.com or if you are a subscriber to my YouTube channel here.

Thank you so much for watching.

This is Patrik Hutzel from intensivecarehotline.com and I will talk to you in a few days.

Take care for now.

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