title: Patients' dreams and unreal experiences following intensive care unit admission.
abstract: Dreams and unreal experiences occur commonly in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care unit. This study describes 31 patients' dreams and explores the relationship between patients' subjective recall 12-18 months after intensive care unit discharge and their observed behaviour during their intensive care unit stay. Semi-structured interviews revealed that 74% of longer-term ICU patients (> or = 3 days) reported dreaming, with the majority also describing frightening hallucinations. Only two patients reported long-term negative psychological sequelae, but the short-term consequence of hallucinations may also have an undiscovered impact on patients' recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. brigit.roberts@health.wa.gov.au
authors.forename: Brigit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chaboyer
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003693:Delirium / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004325:Dreams; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires