'In a dark place, we find ourselves': light intensity in critical care units.
Intensive care units provide specialised care for critically ill patients around the clock. However, intensive care unit patients have disrupted circadian rhythms. Furthermore, disrupted circadian rhythms are associated with worse outcome. As light is the most powerful 're-setter' of circadian rhythm, we measured light intensity on intensive care unit. Light intensity was low compared to daylight during the 'day'; frequent bright light interruptions occurred over 'night'. These findings are predicted to disrupt circadian rhythms and impair entrainment to external time. Bright lighting during daytime and black out masks at night might help maintain biological rhythms in critically ill patients and improve clinical outcomes.
Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, AV Hill Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, M139PT, UK. Hannah.durrington@manchester.ac.uk.
Hannah J
HJ
Durrington
Manchester Emergency and Intensive Care Research Group, Central Manchester Foundation Trust, Oxford Road, Manchester, M139WL, UK.
Richard
R
Clark
Intensive Care Unit, Central Manchester Foundation Trust, Oxford Road, Manchester, M139WL, UK.
Ruari
R
Greer
Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, AV Hill Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, M139PT, UK.
Franck P
FP
Martial
Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, AV Hill Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, M139PT, UK.
John
J
Blaikley
Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, AV Hill Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, M139PT, UK.|Greater Manchester Centre for Acute Tissue Injury and Trauma, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Division of Critical Care, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Greater Manchester, UK.
Paul
P
Dark
Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, AV Hill Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, M139PT, UK.
Robert J
RJ
Lucas
Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, AV Hill Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, M139PT, UK.
David W
DW
Ray