Occupational Therapist Guided Cognitive Interventions_Oct 2021
Description
Intensive care unit (ICU) delirium is a common complication of critical illness requiring a multi-modal approach to treatment. Evidence supporting the use of early cognitive interventions in ICU patients for the prevention or management of delirium is lacking. We report a post hoc feasibility analysis of an occupational therapy (OT) guided cognitive intervention protocol. Patients admitted to an urban ICU were randomized to the standard of care delirium prevention protocol or to the OT-guided cognitive intervention protocol in addition to the standard of care. We conclude that a novel OT-guided cognitive intervention protocol is feasible in general medical/surgical ICU patients. A larger RCT is required to determine the impact of such a protocol on delirium prevalence or duration. Highlights: • ICU delirium is a common complication of critical illness with the potential for long-term cognitive impairments and requires a multi-modal approach to treatment. • An OT-guided cognitive intervention protocol can be titrated according to the level of sedation and is feasible in critically ill patients. • Larger sample sizes are required to determine the effects of a protocol on delirium prevalence and duration